Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, storylines, or concepts mention in the story, just the OCs.
Chapter 24: Revelations
"So…," Trevor began interrogating Flicker, "Where is the Forsaken hideout?"
"There is no hideout," confessed the green dragon. "We move from world to world. Zackary always says that because of the way the universe is now set up, we don't have a home. So our fate is to wander the universe as gypsies until the day we can bring back our world."
The keyblader sighed. He knew all along that his journey wasn't going to be easy, but he wished that someone would throw him a bone every once in a while. "How many members of the Forsaken are left?" he continued.
"Excluding your brother, four: Jing, Kir, Vincent, and Sasuke."
"I know what my brother can do," Trevor thought as he tried to remember all that he could of his brother. He knew that Zackary was a master magician capable of weaving together the most complicated of spells; a skill that they both inherit from their mother. Zackary was also an adequate swordsman, but his real strength lies in his speed and he's even faster than Trevor. However, Trevor knew that he must worry about his brother later. "And I know what Vincent can do as well," he continued. "What kind of powers and abilities the other three have?"
"Well, Kir is pretty much useless in combat; he's a crow you see. However, when he's teamed up with Jing, the two make a deadly combination."
"Explain."
"For starters, Both Jing and Kir came from the same world. Jing is the leader of the two and has the most fighting ability. He has a hidden blade in his right jacket sleeve and always seems to have the devil's luck; it's as if no one can best him at anything. However, his most dangerous ability is when his right hand fuses with Kir's body. It is then, he is able to perform an attack known as the Kir Royale, which he launches a green ball of energy at his foes."
"What about this Sasuke character?" Miranda questioned Flicker. "What can he do?"
"Sasuke is in the same boat as Vincent."
"What do you mean by that?" inquired Trevor.
"Both Sasuke and Vincent Valentine are affiliated with the Forsaken, but are not true members of it. The difference is that Vincent knows this and Sasuke doesn't. Zackary wants Sasuke to think he is part of the group."
"What do you mean by that?"
"When we first met Sasuke, your brother was very impressed with his abilities. Sasuke's world was taken by the Heartless, but it wasn't brought back and altered like our worlds were. Zackary knew that we may run into problems when trying to bring our worlds back and we may need some muscle to back us up. Therefore, your brother lied to Sasuke and told him that he was one of us. When he joined us, we had a heavy hitter in our group; someone to help us if things go awry."
"So, Sasuke and Vincent are kind of like the cavalry."
"Exactly. Sasuke's skills are impressive; he can use lightning and fire attacks, he's fast, agile, and strong. He also has a particular power that he calls, … oh, what was it? I believe he called it Sharingan, I think. It enables him to track his opponent's movements with perfect clarity and can copy any technique the he has seen perfectly; even if he seen it only once."
"Sounds like he's a powerhouse," Miranda sighed.
"Yes, he is," Flicker agreed.
"So, does that mean that Zackary will send him to force me to join the Forsaken?" questioned Trevor.
"No, probably not," the dragon shook his head. "He more concern with tracking Kyle down these days. He will probably order Vincent and Sasuke to look for Kyle."
"What do you mean track Kyle down? Isn't he in The City of Lost Angels? Finding him should be easy."
Flicker shook his head slowly. "Kyle apparently has left that world and is wandering the universe. For what purpose, I don't know."
This news filled Trevor's heart with dread. He instantly thought that Kyle left the world in order to confront him. However, at the same time there was some relief. If Kyle had stayed in The City of Lost Angels and Zackary came to steal his heart then there was no way that Trevor could prevent that from happening. Because of the price he had to pay Yuko, he can no longer set foot on that world.
"Tell us about every member of the Forsaken," the keyblader demanded. "About everyone that join the group, especially if Zackary used Reserve Osmosis on them."
The dragon nodded and then tilted his head back in recollection. "I know that Zackary, Jessica, and Bagheera were the three founding members. Zackary used Reserve Osmosis on the both of them, but only Bagheera had enough power to awaken the faux keyblade. I was their fourth member; they found me washed up of the shores of The Big Apple. The next members to join were Robin Hood, Luffy and Sasuke. Robin Hood was the only one who accepted the Reserve Osmosis. The rest of us refused the faux keyblade for one reason or another. I refused because I am a squire and using a sword-like weapon is against the Code of Chivalry. Hmm,…" Flicker stopped for a moment and seemed to remember something he had forgotten. He swirled in around his head as if he was trying to make sense of it.
"And then there was Zim and Gir," the dragon continued. "Zim wanted the faux keyblade badly, but Zackary refused him."
"Why?" Trevor scratched his head in puzzlement.
"Because Zim and Gir are complete imbeciles. They kept messing up our plans and constantly getting in the way of everything. After a while, Zackary dismissed them both and they are, in all probability, wandering the worlds right now." Flicker scratched his head for a moment. "The last members to join were Heffer, Marsupilami, Jing, Kir, and finally Vincent. Both Heffer and Marsupilami received Reserve Osmosis, but they could never turn the weapons they received from the spell into faux keyblades."
"So Zackary use Reserve Osmosis on five members: Jessica, Bagheera, Robin Hood, Heffer, and Marsupilami."
"That's correct."
"I was afraid of that," the keyblader sighed.
"Trevor, what are you not telling us?" Miranda demanded.
"There's a reason why Reserve Osmosis is one of the forbidden spells. It gives a portion of the keyblader's power to someone else, increasing the non-wielder's strength ten-fold. But if the non-wielder dies, then the power that was given to him goes back to the keyblader increasing his strength two-fold. Evil keybladers back in the day used this technique to increase their own power."
"So that means your brother is-"
"Yes," Trevor sighed heavily. "He's now five times as powerful." The thought disturbed him, but he quickly shrugged it off and concentrated on the task at hand. "Flicker, why did Vincent agree to work with my brother?"
"Zackary promised him revenge on Hojo, the man who experimented on him, and a place in the world The Land of Still Meadows when The City of Lost Angels is no more. But there's another reason why Zackary wants to keep a close eye on Vincent."
"What do you mean?"
"I share my heart with Jake Long, Luffy share his heart with Jack Sparrow, and you share your heart with Kyle. Did you ever wonder who shares their heart with your brother?"
Everyone's eyes widen when they understood what the dragon was driving at. Trevor was in a state of disbelief. "You mean…," he began but couldn't finished the sentence.
"That's right, Bearer of the Key," Flicker said softly. "Vincent Valentine shares his heart with your brother. The two are, technically, one in the same."
The keyblader put in head in his hands and sighed heavily again before bringing his head back up. He felt emotionally drain right now and the only thing he could do about it was to keep going with the interrogation. "One last thing. What world will Jing, Kir, and Sasuke might appear on?"
"In respects of Jing and Kir, they will appear on the world called Desolate Wasteland. As for Sasuke, like I said earlier, his world was not altered. However, Zackary tricked him into believing that the Land of Dragons is his 'altered' world."
Trevor committed the names of the two worlds in memory. They now have a solid lead to where the Forsaken might strike next. "Before we wrapped this up, are you sure that Zackary didn't use Reserve Osmosis on anyone else?"
"Positive," Flicker answered confidently.
"What about Passing of the Power? He didn't give someone the power of the keyblade, did he?"
"Well," the dragon began while he was trying to search for the right words. "He did told me once that he performed the Passing of the Power ceremony on one young woman; giving her the power of the keyblade."
"What?" Trevor yelled tremendously shocked. "What is the name of this woman?"
KH-KH-KH
Cynthia was busy typing away at the ship's computer console late in the night. PJ and Max were fast asleep and she did not want to wake them. She was sleeping only moments before, but as she lay dreaming of things that were and events that might be, a disturbing thought popped into her head. It swirled around in her subconscious and leaked into her awaking mind making itself know. It was as if the stray thought provided several missing pieces to a puzzle linking two separate pictures and combining them to form one grand picture.
Cynthia didn't like this picture.
The keyblader quickly went through the logs that Miranda had email PJ. Lucky for her, Miranda kept detail log entries making the picture that she wanted to find easy. She quickly found the photo that Bagheera given to Trevor when he was in Cape Suzette. Cynthia stared at Trevor's family photo; her eyes fixated on a fifteen-year-old Zackary. 'It can't be the same person,' Cynthia thought to herself. 'It has to be a different Zackary.'
She then opened a computer program that allows her to digitally manipulate photos. The keyblader imported Trevor's photo into the program and pressed the Shift and f12 keys on her keyboard simultaneously. A new window appeared asking her would she like to do age progression on the people in the photo and by how many years. She specified that she wanted to age the people in the photograph by 11 years and clicked OK button. The program altered and rendered the photo. Cynthia's eyes widened when it finished. A much older Zackary was in the picture and it looked like the Zackary she knew long ago.
(Flashback)
One year and six months ago, Traverse Town was experiencing an uneasy night. Cynthia was on top of a building in the second district gazing at the stars above her. The moonlight shined down on her radiant dark skin and her hair gently swayed in the breeze. She knew that the Heartless was restless tonight; it was as if something or someone were making them go crazy.
She heard a loud crash coming from behind her. Cynthia turned around and realized it was coming from the third district. The young woman grabbed her weapon of choice, a fighting staff known as a jō, and ran across the rooftops to see what the ruckus was. When she reached the third district, she peered down from one of the rooftops and saw a young boy fighting a Guard Armor along side a duck and a dog.
Cynthia was about to join in on the fight, when she noticed the weapon the boy was carrying. 'Wait a minute…is he fighting the creature with a sword shape like a key? Is that…a keyblade? I thought those were a myth!' She watched with complete awe as the boy and his companions took on the Heartless.
The group destroyed the Guard Armor in the matter of moments. The boy's skill amazed Cynthia. She could tell the boy was an amateur, but knew that one day the kid was going to be a great warrior.
A couple of days later, the whole town were talking about this mysterious boy with the keyblade; a boy named Sora. The elders who know of the keyblade and the many legends surrounding in were especially excited. "The keybladers have returned," one would say. "Soon, this world and all others will be rid of those filthy creatures; those Heartless." "Don't get me wrong, I am happy," said another, "but to entrust the fate of the universe to some kid? What was the keyblade thinking choosing that kid to be its master?" "Destiny can call on anyone at any given time," said a kindly old woman, "It often picks the most unlikely of heroes. This boy has what it takes to save the universe; otherwise, it would not have chosen him. In this life, we are never given more than we can bear. I'm sure that this Sora fellow will do an excellent job."
The back and forward discussion about Sora went on for days and Cynthia loved it. She knew no world outside of Traverse Town and long to see the outside world. Along with the discussion of Sora, various people talked about their home worlds and all of the wonderful things about them before the Heartless destroyed them. Cynthia got the rare opportunity of hearing stories and legends of far-off worlds. It was a delight for her, since most people and refugees find it painful to talk about their destroyed worlds.
Everyone in life experiences a chance encounter where their life is taken to another direction. Cynthia experienced hers only a few days later. It was late into night and she couldn't sleep. A restlessness was growing inside her that demanded her attention. It cried out in pain, wanting her to escape her room; wanting her to yield to this impromptu wanderlust. She obeyed this desire and quietly left her apartment to take a stroll.
She found herself in the familiar first district where a cold breeze was blowing through it from the north. Cynthia hugged herself tightly to keep herself warm, silently cursing herself for not bringing a jacket. She was about to head back home when the door to the first district opened a figure came straggling out.
It was a man around the age of twenty-five, with dark hair and glasses. The stranger looked as if he was half-dead, half-asleep, and that his body was moving on its own accord instead of his will. The man barely made five steps before collapsing on the ground. Cynthia ran toward him to make sure he's okay. She checked his pulse; he was still alive. There was no time to run and get help, chances are that when she come back the Heartless would have gotten him. She had no choice, but to drag him to a safe place and care for him herself.
Unfortunately, the safest place that Cynthia can think of was the hotel in the second district. She flopped the stranger on the bed in the red room and felt his forehead; he was having a fever. Cynthia desperately looked around the room for a water source, but couldn't find one. 'Out of all the hotels in the universe, I'm in the only one that doesn't have a bathroom or a sink,' she thought furiously. She looked under the bed and saw a hidden minibar. The young woman opened it, grabbed several cold water bottles, and ripped a piece of cloth off the bed sheet. She drenched the fabric with cold water and placed it on the man's head. Cynthia didn't have to worry about paying for the bed sheet or the water, because the owner of the hotel didn't survive the town's last Heartless outbreak.
After a few minutes, there was a violent banging on the door, as if someone was trying to break into the hotel room. Cynthia looked outside her window and saw a whole swarm of Heartless outside the hotel. The Heartless in blind hunger wanted frantically to feast on the two isolated hearts in the hotel. Cynthia kicked herself mentally for not bringing her jō with her, but she's not going down without a fight. She braced her mentally and tried to psych herself up.
Before she could open the door to face her challengers, a brilliant light flickered throughout the room. She looked behind her a keyblade appearing in the stranger's right hand. It was a keyblade of elegant design, as if a professional artisan, with superior skill, designed it for a prince. Most of the weapon looked like a sword only used for ceremonious occasions. The hilt and the guard were made of gold with graceful patterns of nature and royalty engraved on them. The blade itself was as wide as a broadsword and had a hypnotizing shine to it as it gleams in the lamplight. The teeth of the blade were in the shape of a single silver wing that stretched out as if it was preparing for flight. The keychain was made of links of gold rings that connected the weapon to a small trinket shaped like a diamond shield. The name of the keyblade was simple; Integrity.
The man robotically raised the keyblade in the air even though he's still unconscious. "Rid this area from all matters of evil," he said in a cross between a mumble and a sigh. "Sacred Ground," when the words left his lips a barrier was form around the hotel and all the Heartless retreat in total fear. The Heartless who were foolish enough to test their luck were destroyed when they came in contact with the barrier. The keyblade disappeared and his arm fell limp by his side.
Cynthia was amazed. She couldn't believe that the man before her was a keyblader like Sora or that the man was able to cast a spell while he was unconscious. She checked the keyblader's temperature again; it was coming down, but he's still burning up. Cynthia re-soaked the strip of cloth, placed it on the keyblader's forehead again, and hoped for the best.
Three hours flew by and the keyblader's fever was gone. However, he was still unconscious and the barrier he set up was waning. Cynthia was getting worried. If the barrier collapses then the Heartless might return. She heard the keyblader stir in the bed and turned around to see what was the matter. The man slowly began to rise running his left hand through his hair.
"Careful," Cynthia warned the man as she tried to make him lay down again. "You're not fully recovered yet."
The man refused her advice and sat up anyway. He summoned his keyblade and in a clear voice said, "Curaga." A warm green light enveloped him and he felt all of his strength returning. "Where am I?" he said to Cynthia, "and where is my family?"
"You are in Traverse Town," answered Cynthia. "And as for your family, I don't know where they are; you are the only one I found."
"I see…," the stranger said solemnly. "I've to find them."
"Don't you understand? You are in another world." The keyblader turned to face Cynthia. The look he gave her was not of surprise or confusion, but of quiet understanding.
"This isn't my first rodeo," he said half-jokingly. "I know that my world has fallen into the darkness and I know about the existence of other worlds; I've traveled throughout the worlds some time ago." A stray thought hit him and he looked at Cynthia, giving her a peculiar look. "How do you know about the existence of other worlds?"
"Like I said, this is Traverse Town," she explained. "The people who live here came from other worlds. Some of them lost their homes to the Heartless, while others just don't want to go back to their home worlds for one reason or another. You don't have worry about the world order or hide the fact that you're a keyblader."
"Good to know," the man said before he walked out of the door.
"Hey, it's cold out there! You could catch a cold!" Cynthia grabbed a clothing article off the nearest coatrack and followed the man outside. She threw the article of clothing over the man and helped him put it on. However, there was not much to put on. "Huh? This isn't a jacket? It looks more like a cloak."
"Blue isn't my color," the man joked.
"Well, beggars can't be choosers."
"But, I didn't beg for anything." Cynthia gave him a sour look and he couldn't help but laugh heartily. "I like you; you have spunk. The name's Zackary by the way."
"Cynthia," the young woman introduced herself. "Excuse me for gushing, but you are the second keyblader that I saw in my entire life."
"Who was the other keyblader?" Zackary pleaded. "Was his name Matthew or Trevor?"
"No, his name is Sora."
"Oh…," Zackary said crestfallen.
Cynthia hated to see this man down. "I'm sure your family is all right. Everyone who lost their homeworld comes to this place sooner of later. If you wait a while longer I'm sure you will run into them." Zackary flashed a smile and she flashed one right back. "Come on, let me show you around."
And so, Cynthia gave the grand tour of all Traverse Town. After she showed him all of the three districts, she led Zackary to the fountain in the third district. The young woman pressed a hidden button on the side of the fountain and part of the wall left of it opened up and revealed a hidden doorway.
"This is the way to lost district number four," Cynthia said with a smile.
"Why is this a lost district?"
"Well, it's not really lost as so much as it is protected by those who live here." They entered the doorway and had to past through a veil of light. "Aerith and other white mages had set up the barrier to protect this district from the Heartless," Cynthia continued explaining as they walk down a long flight of stairs that lead to an iron door. "We usually don't tell anyone about this district if they don't plan to stay for long or if we feel that there is too much darkness in their heart."
"What do you do with people like that?"
"The Heartless usually care of them," she said in a quiet voice.
Cynthia opened the iron door and both officially entered the fourth district; the living quarters for those who have lost their homes. Most of the buildings were apartments about seven stories high with each living space pack full of people. Some people also lived in makeshift dwellings made of cardboard, scrap wood, and anything else that they can find.
"This is horrible," Zackary said with a loss of words.
"It wasn't always like this. Before the Heartless outbreak, it was a pleasant place to live in. But now, there are so many people who have lost their homes and we cannot build enough apartments fast enough."
They walk through the fourth district quietly and on occasion Cynthia will speak about life in this world and all the different way its denizens planned to make it better. When they reached the last part of the fourth district, Cynthia couldn't help but smile.
"This is the Traverse Town zoo, its one of my favorite places on the world."
"You guys have a zoo?" Zackary asked as they entered the gates.
"Well…it's more like a holding pen," Cynthia confessed. "People aren't the only ones who have lost their homes to the Heartless; animals have too. Whenever a wild animal arrivals here we capture them and place them here where they can't hurt anyone or hurt themselves."
They went from holding pen to holding pen staring at all of the exotic animals. Many of the animals Zackary had never seen before, despite the fact he had traveled the universe before. At last, they came to a pit that has been fenced in. Inside the pit was a black panther, completely indifferent to the two humans watching it.
Zackary looked at the panther with a curious look while Cynthia continued on talking. "We had a great deal of trouble bringing this one in," she explained.
"I think I know this panther…"
"What?" Cynthia gave the keyblader a hard look. "It's a wild animal, how could you possibly know it?"
Zackary didn't pay attention to her. "Bagheera!" he called out. The black panther looked up at him and stared at him with curiosity. "I thought so," the keyblader rejoiced.
Cynthia had her arms folded. "Care to tell me what going on?"
"This panther is Bagheera. Me and my brother met him when we were younger and traveled to a world called Ivory Jungle. He has helped us a couple of times." He focused his attention back to the panther. "Bagheera, it's me, Zackary. You know, Trevor's older brother." The panther got up and seemed to have a smile on its face as its tail twitch.
Zackary climbed over the fence and Cynthia grabbed a hold of him. "Are you crazy?" she yelled at him. "He's a dangerous animal, you can be killed!"
"Relax, he's my friend," Zackary simply stated as he broke free from Cynthia's grip and jumped into the pit.
Cynthia stared at Zackary with complete disbelief, thinking that the keyblader abandoned all common sense. "… White people…," she cursed before jumping in after him.
The keyblader approached the black panther with no fear, but Cynthia kept her distance. The panther then pounced on Zackary and Cynthia let out a terrified scream. To her surprise, Zackary was laughing; the panther was only licking his face playfully. "Bagheera, stop! No licking!" Zackary yelled with joy. The keyblader managed to get the panther off him and hugged the big cat.
Cynthia couldn't grasp what was happening; it was beyond her understanding. "What just happen?"
"Like I said before, Bagheera is my friend. Bagheera tell her." The black panther utter a noise that sounded like a growl in response.
"I don't think he agrees with you," Cynthia said fearfully.
"That's right, every few people can understand the animal language," Zackary scratched his chin.
"So there's a language now?" Cynthia yelled hysterically. "And you expect me to believe you can understand that wild beast?"
"Maybe you will feel better if you able to understand him." Zackary summoned his keyblade, pointed at Bagheera, and began to cast him spell. "Endless winds and desert's sand. Give this beast the syntax of man!" A light enveloped the panther for a second before disappearing.
After a few moments of silent, Cynthia wasn't impressed. "Well?" she said irritable.
"Well what?" Bagheera said in perfect English.
Cynthia jumped and uttered a cry while Zackary gave out a laugh. "It can talk!" the young woman said in shock.
"I'm not an 'it'," the panther complained. "My name's Bagheera and I don't appreciate that you people stuck me in this hole."
"Well then, let's get out of here," Zackary said as he looked for an exit.
"He can't get out of here!" Cynthia yelled at the keyblader while pointing at Bagheera. "It doesn't matter if he can talk or not, he's still a wild animal. He can't be allowed to roam the streets."
"Fine," Zackary sighed. "I guess I just make him more like us." He pointed his keyblade at the panther again. "How did the spell go again?" he questioned himself. "I think it's: 'Now this creature has been granted the gift of rationalization, gave him a form fit for civilization!'"
Swirls of light surrounded the panther; his back arched as his front paws became hands and his rear paws transformed into feet. The light slowly faded away and Bagheera stood before them as an anthro-panther. There was only one side effect; Bagheera had no clothes on.
Zackary turned away, Cynthia covered her eyes with her hands, and poor Bagheera tired to cover his shame. The keyblader quickly gave the panther his cloak so he had something to cover himself up.
"Conjure him up some clothes!" Cynthia demanded.
"There's no such spell," Zackary said weakly.
"Well, you can't leave me here like this," Bagheera panicked as he struggled to make the cloak cover all of him. "Even with this cloak, I feel so…exposed!"
"There's a clothing store down the street," Cynthia suggested. "We can go there and-"
"YOU WANT ME TO WANDER IN PUBLIC LIKE THIS?" Bagheera yelled pathetically.
"He's right," agreed the keyblader. "Is there a place that he could hide from prying eyes while we look for him some clothes?"
"I thought of something better," Cynthia said with her eyes still close. "There a secret passageway that leads back to the hotel in the second district. We will find some clothes for Bagheera there."
It took them five minutes to sneak out of the fourth district and enter the hotel in second district. Once there Cynthia entered the red room and rapidly looked through the wardrobes and drawers, pulling out all of the clothes she could find. The sad fact was that many people who are new to Traverse Town stay at the hotel thinking at it's safe, but only to discover that the Heartless have no trouble entering the building.
She threw a pile of clothes at Bagheera who was hiding behind the bed. "Here, wear what you like."
The panther grabbed an article of clothing, which happens to be white briefs, and examined it in curiosity. "How will this garment accommodate my tail?"
"Okay, that's my cue to leave," Cynthia threw her hands in the air. "Zackary, stay here and help him dress. I'll wait outside."
Minutes passed and Cynthia was shivering in the cold air. The door next to her opened and both Zackary and Bagheera stepped out.
"It takes fifteen minutes to dress a panther?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
"Only if the panther never put on clothes before," Zackary responded. He stepped aside allowing Cynthia to get a better look at Bagheera. "How does he look?"
Bagheera was wearing an old fashion brown pilot jacket with a white athletic tee underneath. He also wore matching brown cargo pants with black boots. The panther tried to give the cloak back to Zackary, but the keyblader said that he could keep it.
"Not bad," Cynthia said after a brief examination.
At that moment, Zackary's stomach growled. The keyblader turned red with embarrassment and looked away. "Is there, by any chance, a restaurant nearby," he said meekly.
The three went to the first district where Cynthia took them to a small café. Over dinner, Zackary was telling them stories of when his father took him and his brother all across the worlds to train them. Cynthia enjoyed the keyblader's stories. Hearing tales from other worlds were always exciting to her and it helped that Zackary was an expert storyteller.
"-and so Trevor and Mowgli tied a burning torch to Shere Khan's tail!" Zackary said with excitement as he recounted his experiences on the world the Ivory Jungle. "Now imagine the most frightening killing machine ever reduced to a scaredy-cat; that's what happened to Shere Khan!"
Everyone laughed and Bagheera added, "It was an amusing sight. After that, Shere Khan never entered our part of the jungle again."
"The next world we traveled to was the strangest world I've ever been to," Zackary continued. "If I remember correctly, the world was called Lake Hoohaw."
"It must have been an exciting world," Cynthia blurted out in anticipation.
"Actually, it wasn't," Zackary admitted. "It's a peaceful world; hardly anything bad happens in it. It was a relief for my father. It seems that every world we went to was having some sort of crisis and like fools, Trevor and I had to stick our noses in it. However, since the world was a laid-back one, my father could train us in peace. On that world, my brother and I met three otters with the weirdest names: their names were Peanut, Butter, and Jelly."
Cynthia squealed with delight. "Shut up! You just made that up!"
"Hand to God, it's the truth. Although, I should have said Peanut, Jelly, and Butter since Butter was the youngest."
"It must be exciting being born into a family of keybladers," Cynthia sighed as she picked up a French fry. "You and your brother are so lucky to be one of the few people chosen to be keybladers."
"It's not as great as you think," the keyblader sighed. "And my brother Trevor is only a keyblader because I decided to pass the power to him. My father didn't think he was worthy of it."
"Why not?"
"Even though my father was willing to train Trevor, he fears that Trevor's heart was too aimless, too unfocused. Such qualities are ill fitting for a keyblader and my father felt that Trevor could not improve himself in these areas. Therefore, my father only passed me the power; Trevor took it pretty hard at the time…
"When our world was being attack by the Heartless, I knew that we needed more than two keybladers to fight the onslaught. Trevor was the best and only candidate since he went through the training and knew about the power of the keyblade. I passed the power unto him so we have a fighting chance, but it did not do any good. Me and Trevor were separated during the fight and…well…our world fell into darkness…"
Cynthia grabbed Zackary's hand to support him and Bagheera followed suit. "I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically. "I wished there was something that I could do…"
"What's that?" Bagheera pointed in the sky. The two humans looked up and saw a shooting star streak across the night sky. The star seem to grow larger and larger as if was heading toward them. Then the sonic boom came and the shockwave rattled the windows. The falling star then blazed over their heads and landed somewhere in the third district.
"Another person who lost their home has arrived," Cynthia sighed heavily. "Although, they usually don't enter the world so…noisily."
"Maybe it's my brother, or my father, or maybe my mother," Zackary said with cautious hope as he got up.
"Maybe," Cynthia said getting up as well. "We better check on them before the Heartless get to them first."
They rushed to the third district and saw five Shadow Heartless surrounding a body. Zackary dispatched three of the Heartless while Cynthia destroyed the rest of them with a series of flying kicks.
When they destroyed the creatures, the three of them huddled around the body to see if the person was all right. The person was a very beautiful woman, whose beauty was so radiant that even when she was unconscious everything about her looked animated. The woman stirred and the three backed off to give her some breathing room. As the mysterious woman became more aware of her surroundings, she became more panicked.
"Where am I?" she said trying to get a grip on herself. "Where is my husband, Roger?"
"Relax, you're safe," Cynthia tried to calm the woman down. "You're in a town called Traverse Town."
"Traverse Town?" the woman said not understanding. "I don't know any Traverse Town. Is it near Hollywood?"
"You're not in your world anymore," Zackary said empathically. "The world that you once knew is now gone, lost to the darkness. Luckily your heart was strong enough to find its way here."
"My husband, where is he?" the woman demanded as she got up defiantly. "I want to see my husband now!"
"You are the only one we found here," Cynthia sighed. "But if it's alright, could you tell us your name?"
The woman hesitated a bit before speaking. "Jessica," she said. "Jessica Rabbit."
"Well Jessica, I'm sure that your husband is all right and will come to this world soon," Cynthia reassured her.
Zackary felt a chill run down his spine and summoned his keyblade. "They are here," he warned them.
A dark magic barrier was set up to prevent the group from escaping. Zackary steadied his keyblade, Bagheera pull out his claws, Jessica reached for a pistol she'd hidden away in her dress, and Cynthia shifted to a fighting stance.
"I really wish I've brought my jō tonight," she cursed.
A dark smoky cloud descended on the battlefield and twisted itself into a vortex. A giant Heartless stepped out of the whirlwind and gave a terrifying roar. It resembled a large raptor with black scales and the Heartless emblem on its back. The beast charged them and knocked them over like bowling pins. Everyone tried to get back up but the Heartless fired an energy blast from its maw causing everyone to scatter.
Zackary fired a Thundaga spell and Jessica fired off a couple of rounds, but the Heartless dodged them with ease thanks to its near superhuman speed.
Cynthia ran to the creature and unleashed a spinning back kick across the beast's head. Before the young woman could touch ground again, the Heartless quickly recovered from the attack and tail whipped her sending her flying across the district. Bagheera caught her before she could slam into a wall.
"There shouldn't be Heartless this powerful in Traverse Town," Cynthia said aloud.
"All the more reason to destroy it," Zackary yelled as he prepared his next spell. "Maybe paralysis will slow this beast down. Break!" Gray puffs of smoke surrounded the Heartless and were absorbed in the skin. The monster's movements became sluggish right before it was completely paralysis.
Bagheera lashed out at the petrified monster with his razor sharp claws while Jessica fired off round after round. The Break spell quickly wore off and the Heartless was free to move again. It clawed at Jessica and tried to stomp on Bagheera. The panther dodged rolled off to safety and Zackary cast Protect on Jessica to protect her.
Cynthia ran up and the Heartless and Zackary did too. "Together now!" the keyblader yelled. They both jumped up high over the Heartless. Zackary did a downward slash on the creature while Cynthia performed a devastating spinning roundhouse kick. The beast of darkness stumbled and its body slowly melted away releasing its heart.
While watching the heart float away Zackary whispered to Cynthia. "For someone with no weapon you sure know how to fight."
"Why of course," Cynthia scoffed jokingly. "All citizens of Traverse Town must learn how to fight. It's for our survival." Her face became more serious and solemn. "Those who can't fight will die; it's a sad fact about this world. That's why it's important to learn how to fight in any given situation, with any weapon; even if that weapon is your empty hands…"
"Could someone please tell me what's going on," Jessica said impatiently.
Cynthia and Zackary smiled at each other knowing there was a lot of material to cover. "All right," Cynthia nodded, "but it's going to take a while to explain."
Two days later, the four walked toward to door leading out of the first district and the world entirely.
"Do you guys really have to go?" Cynthia asked. "Since the three of you lost your homes, you're free to stay here as long as you like."
Zackary smiled and shook his head. "It's very kind of you, but we must look for a way to bring back our worlds, all worlds, from the darkness. There also must be a way to end this Heartless epideictic. You could join us if you like. You are a good fighter and you said always wanted to see the universe."
Cynthia beamed a bright smile and looked up at the stars. "I would love to…but I'm afraid I can't. The Heartless is still a major problem in this world and so until things settle down here, I can't travel with you. I have responsibilities here and I must take care of them before I can begin an epic journey. By the way, I have gifts for all of you." She pulled out two items and gave them to Zackary and Jessica. "Since Bagheera has your blue cloak Zackary, I made you another one. I made one for you too Jessica. Now all of you can match together like fraternal triplets." Jessica thanked her and well as Zackary. The young woman then took off her dream catcher necklace and gave it to the keyblader. "This is my final gift to you. It's called a dream catcher. It's a charm that supposes to catch nightmares, so you only dream good dreams. May this charm catch all of your nightmares so you can continue to follow your dreams."
"Thank you," Zackary smiled as he took the charm. "Now it's time for my gift to you." He summoned his keyblade and beckon Cynthia to touch the hilt on it. "Technically, only a Keyblade Master can only do this, but what the hell, you deserve this gift." When she placed her hand on the weapon, he began the ceremony.
"In your hand take this key.
So long as you have the makings,
Then though this simple act of taking,
Its wielder you shall one day be
And you will find me, friend-
No ocean will contain you then.
No more borders around, or below, or above,
So long as you champion the ones you love."
Cynthia wasn't sure what was going on, but felt a certain pride swell up within her.
"I passed the power unto you," Zackary said. "One day, when your heart is ready, a keyblade will choose you." Cynthia gasped in delight, uncertain how to act. "Traverse Town needs a keyblader to protect it," Zackary continued. "It might as well be you."
Cynthia jumped and embraced the keyblader, overflowing with joy and gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.
"No problem," he hugged back.
The four of them said their final goodbyes and Cynthia watched as Zackary lead Bagheera and Jessica out of Traverse Town for good.
(End Flashback)
Cynthia quietly pounded the computer counsel, silently cursing herself. How she not see the connection between her and the Forsaken? Not only she met Zackary in the past, she's a keyblader because of him. It eased her mind that she knew Zackary before this Forsaken nonsense, but not by much. She wondered if she had agreed to travel with Zackary could she stop him from going down the path that he was on now. She shook her head; there was no use in worrying about what could have been; she need to focus on the present.
The female keyblader leaned back in her chair, clasped her hands together, and stared at the ceiling. The only light in the room was the computer screen in front of her. She reflected on all of the memories that she had with Zackary looking for a weakness that he may have, but turned up empty. She still could not believe that Zackary will do something so stupid. What she was feeling was the equivalent of someone finding out that their sweet best friend they knew all their life had committed a heinous crime. Cynthia did not know Zackary for a long time, but Zackary had a charm about him, a certain openness. He had an air of regal and nobility about him in a slacker sort of way. Zackary was easy to be around with and after spending five minutes with him, you can be convinced that he is incapable of doing something evil. Something stupid maybe, but not evil.
She was deep in her thoughts, when the chimes when off, alerting her that someone was calling her. Cynthia quickly turned off the chimes so Max and PJ will not be disturbed, and press a button on the counsel to answer the call. The computer screen then displayed Trevor, Miranda, and Bonkers staring back her.
"Cynthia…we need to talk," Trevor began.
Cynthia didn't say a word, but just nodded her head.
"We'd captured one member of the Forsaken some time ago. A few moments ago we teleported him to Radiant Garden, but not before interrogating him," Trevor continued. "I hate to beat around the bush so I'm just going to ask you two questions: In the past, did you have any have any contact with my brother and who passed you the power of the keyblade?"
Cynthia gulped and noticed a bead of sweat running down her forehead.
KH-KH-KH
Zackary was lying on top off a hotel roof gazing at the stars. The Banana Cabana was a strange hotel, with a giant plastic banana displayed both proudly and crudely on the highest point of the roof. The keyblader reached in his shirt and pulled out the dream catcher charm that Cynthia gave him long ago. He stared at it thoughtfully for a time before a sly smile spread across his face. On one hand, he was proud of Cynthia; her progress is faster than any other keyblader he had ever seen.
'Even though she cannot use magic, she been able to compensate for her handicap,' Zackary thought. 'She has a brilliant mind. It's a shame that she's working against me; she could have been a powerful ally.'
He felt Vincent and Sasuke's presence and turned around. Both his underlings looked tired and exhausted, as if they ran a marathon. "Have you found Kyle?" he simply asked.
"No." It was weird hearing Vincent Valentine out of breath. His cold dead eyes now had a world-weariness in them. Zackary had to turn his head to avoid looking into them. "He was here though. We must have just missed him. Apparently, he and his comrades helped a yellow dog named Howie dev-"
"I don't care what he has done!" the keyblader said with an edge in his voice. "I want to know where he is!"
"We, unfortunately, don't know," Sasuke confessed. "But I have gathered useful intel. Kyle is apparently traveling with a white rabbit that can copy enemies' spells perfectly and a blue-gray otter that has a sword that can take on the attributes of any element."
Zackary thought about this for a moment. "So he's traveling with a Blue Mage and a Mystic Knight." The keyblader sighed heavily, frustrated that he has to hunt down his target and that the target had potential powerful allies with him. "It's time to move on to the next world," he said getting up and putting away his dream catcher charm. "The three of us should split up so we can cover more worlds faster."
"Yes, Zackary," Vincent and Sasuke said simultaneously.
"We shall not rest until Kyle's heart is in my hands."
KH-KH-KH
Trevor, Miranda, and Bonkers watched Cynthia's nervous reaction on the screen. They saw the keyblader recollected herself and said in an even voice, "Yes, I have met your brother in the past and he was the one who had passed me the power."
"You're a keyblader because of Zackary and you didn't tell anyone about it?" Trevor yelled.
"Well, you didn't tell us that Zackary was your older brother until a couple of weeks ago; in fact, Leon had to tell us!" Cynthia defended herself.
"I have amnesia!" Trevor yelled at the top of his lungs. "What's your excuse? Selective memory loss?"
"Both of you! Calm down!" Miranda ordered and the two keybladers fell silent. After a few moments have passed, the cop turned her attention back to the screen. "Cynthia, what side are you on?"
"I'm on your side!" Cynthia pressed. "It's just…when I met Zackary it was before Sora locked Kingdom Hearts and brought back every one of the lost worlds. Zackary was a different man then, a kinder man. I guess some part of me knew that the Zackary of the forsaken and the Zackary I met a long time ago were one in the same; I just didn't want to believe it."
"I know how you feel," Trevor admitted. "There's not a single minute that goes by where I don't wish otherwise."
"What are you going to do?" Cynthia asked. "What is your next plan of action?"
"Me and my team discuss this and we decided to find a keyblader named Kyle so we can protect him from my brother. We're going to leave all affairs about Naraku to you and the other keybladers for now. I'm the only one who knows Zackary inside and out, so it's my responsibility to bring him to justice."
"It would make my job easier," Cynthia nodded. "From the reports you gave us, Naraku's only ally is Light Yagami. If only we knew where Naraku is hiding…"
A long silence followed and neither party knew what to say nor did they want to hang up on each other. "So…," Trevor said after a while, trying to make conversion, "Before you became a keyblader did you have the dream about the murals?"
"Yeah," Cynthia nodded. "It was very strange dream; so vivid."
"What weapon did you choose?"
"What?"
"In the dream I chose the sword and gave up the shield. How about you?"
"Oh," Cynthia said when she realized what he was talking about. "I chose the shield and gave up the staff."
"You chose the shield?" Trevor said in shock. "No one chooses the shield! Why did you do something like that?"
"Good-bye Trevor," Cynthia said angrily right before she cut the video feed.
KH-KH-KH
Back on the City of Lost Angels, the citizens of the world gathered together and there was an excitement in the air. However, there was not a festival going on. The citizens were up in arms, carrying guns, bats, and any weapon they could find while chasing two figures through the streets. The two people that they were chasing were Mortimer Mouse and Zeke Wolf.
The people were scared out of their minds because of the Heartless outbreak. The creatures did not fit in their worldview and they looked for somebody to blame. Then they found Mortimer and Zeke, two beings so different from them. Because the mouse and the wolf were not human, they reasoned that the two are the ones responsible for the Heartless. In a frenzy of fear and panic, the citizens took it upon themselves to rid the world of such strange and hideous creatures.
"A fine mess you got us into," Mortimer yelled at the wolf as they ran from the crowd.
"Me?" Zeke yelled back. "This is your fault. In fact, everything is your fault! If you hadn't tried to steal Minnie away from King Mickey we wouldn't be exiled!"
"Don't you dare pin this all on me!" the mouse yelled as he dodged a thrown pitchfork. "I wasn't the one who desired epic battles every other week."
"Don't change the subject!"
"You're the one who brought it up!"
The two then ran into an alleyway to escape the crowd, but they were still being followed. They bobbed and weaved through the backstreets and every time they think they lost the crowd, the mob finds them again.
"You're a canine," Mortimer pointed out. "Use that nose of yours to help us find a way out of this mess."
"That's an offensive stereotype!" Zeke yelled. "Besides, I'm not some dumb bloodhound!"
"Just do it!"
"Fine!" Zeke took a big sniff and caught a unique scent. "This way!" he pointed to a narrow road that led to another alleyway.
The two misfits hop over trashcans and dodged the crowds as they followed whatever direction Zeke's nose points them. They finally arrived at a beach that stretched for miles in each direction.
"You brought us to a beach?" Mortimer screamed. "You idiot! There's no cover here! We're sitting ducks!"
"You told me to follow my nose and this is where it led me," Zeke defended himself. "I cannot help it if my nose likes the salty air!"
Mortimer nervously looked behind him, but saw no sign of the mob that was chasing them. "We seem to have lost them."
"And you were worried that I couldn't get us out of this mess."
"Without me you couldn't get out of a paper bag," the mouse boasted. "I would be mad at you if I wasn't so angry at that two-bit keyblader! He's the one who got us into this mess!"
"Yeah!" Zeke agreed with full conviction. "Instead of sending us to Disney Castle, he sent us to this screwed up world!" The wolf kicked some sand around. "Lousy no-good keybladers. They always ruin our lives, haven't they?"
"Shh!"
"Did you just 'shh' me?"
"Yes you big galoot, now shh!" Mortimer shushed the wolf. "Look over there, in the distance."
Zeke looked down the beach and saw a small faint image staring out to sea. He knew that he seen the image before, but couldn't put his finger on it. Slowly the gears in his head turned and the wolf came to a realization. "King Mickey!" he exclaimed. "What is he doing here?"
"How should I know?" Mortimer hissed. The mouse turned his attention back to his former king. "Look, someone is coming to meet him."
"What do we do?"
"We, my friend, wait for an opportunity to present itself."
KH-KH-KH
King Mickey stared out into the sea disappointed that he didn't find the answers that he was looking for. There was no use crying over spilled milk, he decided it was time to leave this world and check to see how Sora and Riku were progressing in their Mark of Mastery exam. Before he could leave the world, he turned around and saw a man walking toward him.
"King Mickey, I presume?" The man said. He was a tall, graying man who wore horn-rimmed glasses and a light gray suit. The man adjusted his blue tie and spoke in a clear, even voice. "My name is Matthew Birch of the Birch Keyblade Family that guards the Realm of Twilight. I believe you have met my son, Trevor."
King Mickey's eyes light up and he shook Matthew's hand. "It's a real honor meeting you, Prince Matthew. Besides your son, I have never met anyone from any of the three royal keyblade families."
Matthew laughed. "You don't have to call me prince, that title is merely ceremonious. Especially now since, the Willow family and the Blackthorn family are now no more."
"So what brings to do this world?"
"I imagine it is the same reason you are also here; to see if there is any truth to this 'shadow world' nonsense that my other son is spewing out."
"What have you found?"
"Where is some truth to it," Matthew said sadly. "This world may not be the Land of Still Meadows, but I can feel its faint presence here. It's like a ghost lurking in every shadow and corner of a house; despite what you see on the surface, you feel that if you peel away a couple of layers then a fragment of some forgotten past will reveal itself."
"That's the way I feel to," Mickey nodded. "The universe has somehow been altered. I wondered how that happened."
"There's some unknown insidious force out there that pulling invisible strings. Let's hope that we can find out what this entity's plans are so we can stop it."
"What do you plan to do Matthew?" Mickey inquired. "Do you plan to stop your son Zackary? Are you going to meet up with Trevor?"
The old keyblader folded his arms, closed his eyes, and let his head drop a bit. "As much as I like to see Zackary so I can slap him across the face and give him a piece of my mind, I'm not going to do it. That is a journey that Trevor must take; that battle is between brothers, not father and son. My wife and I must see who's truly behind all of this chaos before we can be reunited with our sons."
"I can tell you who is behind all of this," Mickey said solemnly. "It's Xehanort."
Matthew let out a gasp, shocked beyond belief. "You mean that Master Xehano-"
"That's right; you weren't there when Xehanort struck down Terra, Ven, Master Eraqus, and Master Aqua."
Matthew looked away out of complete shock. "One night when I was training the boys, I saw Master Eraqus' star go out. But never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that Xehanort could do such a thing. He was a strange man, always obsessed with the legends of the Keyblade War and what lies beyond the total oblivion of an apocalypse, but I just account that to his eccentricities. Don't tell me he truly does plans to create another Keyblade War?"
"He does."
"That's absurd! The last one destroyed the original World and it's a miracle that our ancestors managed the build smaller, disconnected versions of the World! If he starts another War who knows what will happen!" Matthew paced around for a bit, he voice was getting louder. "I thought he was joking about that! That it was all just a sick twisted joke! What does he get out of this?"
"From what I can find out, it's just to satisfy his curiosity."
"Damn his curiosity! He should know better!" Matthew took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I will find Xehanort and when I do I will alert you and the other keybladers."
"We will be waiting," Mickey nodded and shook Matthew's hand as a sign of agreement. Mickey summoned his keyblade and opened up a portal after Matthew did the same. Both entered said a final farewell before entering their respective portal.
KH-KH-KH
Mortimer and Zeke watched as the two keybladers entered the portals.
"Now's our chance!" Mortimer grinned at Zeke.
"Our chance to do what?" the wolf asked in confusion.
"To enter the portal that Mickey went through so we can go home, you idiot," the mouse sneered.
"Oh…let's do it then!"
The two outcasts raced to the portal, running like their lives depended on it. They drove for the portal, but the corridor closed before they could even touch it and the only thing that the two gained was a mouth full of sand.
"Well, that was a whole lot of effort for a whole lot of nothing!" Mortimer scoffed as he spit sand out of his mouth.
Zeke was about to said something, when a keyblade was plunged into the white sand only mere centimeters in front of his face. The two outcasts looked up and saw Robert and Nerela standing over them.
Robert leaned on his keyblade as he stared down at the wolf and the mouse, while Nerela flashed her famous wicked smile. "Do you gentlemen need any help?" Robert said in a cold and calculating voice. "Maybe a way to get back home?"
KH-KH-KH
In the cold, dark forest of Halloween Town, Braig led a shinny teenager through them. Braig cursed to himself for being to one chosen to watch this kid, but knew that it couldn't be help.
"Kiddo, pick up the pace!" Braig yelled behind him. "We're burning valuable daylight. …Not that the sun ever comes up in this place."
"My name is not kiddo," the teenager tried to said it like a threat, but it came out like a pathetic whine. "It's Derrick." The teenage boy had long dark hair that covered his eyes and was dressed completely in black. He wore black shinny jeans and a black t-shirt with the words 'Morality is Overrated' printed in front. He also wore a half zipped up black jacket that hung on him as if his body was a coatrack. The teenager was so skinny and slight that you will swear that he hadn't had a proper meal in days. He was seventeen years old, but you would think he was younger since he's barely five foot nine. His posture is always in a permanent slouch, which cause him to look like he was searching for something he lost on the ground as he walked. Derrick's skin was thin and pale and seemed to be stretched all over his body like the membrane of a drum. If it wasn't for the long hair covering his face, you would've seen an enduring scowl painted across it and world-weary eyes that looked as if they haven't seen the light of day in ages.
Braig hated the kid, but Derrick was Master Xehanort's protégé, so he has to endure the company of this teenager for the time being. "Whatever you say, Rickster. We're almost there."
"Don't call me Rickster!" Again, Derrick tried to make it sound like a threat, but his voice turned it into a shrill whine. "I hate that nickname! I hate all nicknames! How would you like it if I called you Mr. Eyepatch?"
Braig counted to ten, trying hard not to slap the teenager. 'It's hard to believe that kid's a powerful dark keyblader,' he thought. 'From his looks, he looks like an awkward skinny girl with hormonal issues.'
"I don't want you to train me!" Derrick continued to complain. "Master Xehanort is supposed to train me! I don't want some hack who doesn't know what he's doing to teach me!"
The eye patch man had enough. Braig summoned his keyblade and pressed the tip of the blade against the teen's neck to shut him up. "I may have been a keyblader for a lot less time than you, but I know a thing or two about battles Rickster," he said in an annoyed voice. "Unfortunately for all of us, Master Xehanort is feeling a little under the weather. So until he recovers, we're stuck with each other, you dig?"
"How dare you threaten me with your pathetic keyblade!" the teen screeched. "Do you know who I am? I am Derrick Blackthorn, last of the royal Blackthorn line! I'm the keeper of one the three ultimate spells; Flare! Threaten me again and I will use it on you!"
Braig moaned loudly. "Rickster, I seen you cast the spell before and frankly, you're not good at it. Besides, I have a clever defense against it; it's called teleporting! There's nothing you can do to harm me! Now you better get your rear in gear or I'll drag you to the training spot myself!"
Derrick quietly grumbled, but obeyed. He stuck his hands in his jacket pocket and dragged his feet as he followed Braig.
They arrived in a clearing where the trees surrounding it had a different holiday symbol on it. Both of them strolled up to the tree with a Christmas tree shaped door on it.
"Master Xehanort told me to train you in an environment filled with light," Braig began.
"And you brought me here?" the teen interrupted. "Typical. This world is covered by darkness. Halloween Town barely has any light in it."
"But Christmas Town has tons to spare!" Braig opened the Christmas tree door and a beam of light came pouring through it illuminating the forest. Derrick covered his eyes and staggered back as if he was in pain. Braig rolled his eyes and grabbed the teenager by the scuff of his neck. "Don't be such a drama queen Rickster. A little light won't hurt you. Besides, haven't you heard the expression 'the brighter the light, the darker the shadow?' Training in that kind of environment will make your dark powers stronger. Don't you want to be stronger?"
Derrick hissed like a snake for his response. "I don't like the light."
"Just be thankful that I'm not making you train in Easter Town. That town is practically baptized in light."
The teenager shook his head defiantly stating that he won't go.
"Fine then," Braig smiled. "I always liked doing things the hard way." He grabbed Derrick's hair and dragged him into Christmas Town kicking and screaming.
KH-KH-KH
Rude and Reno was escorting their latest prisoner, Flicker, to an empty holding cell when they ran into their boss Rufus Shinra. Rufus now had a motorized wheelchair that looked more like an office chair than anything. He still covered himself with a white cloth so no one can see the injuries he had to endure a long time ago.
"Hey boss," Reno whistled. "How are you today? You're working that wheelchair."
"Is that the prisoner that Trevor has sent us?" Rufus inquired.
"Why, yes," Reno nodded. "We're just sending him to his comfy cell. You hear that dragon, you're going to be in a nice cozy lair," the redhead mocked the dragon.
"See to it that you do, I want to question him later," Rufus ordered as he traveled down the cellblock. He arrived to one dark cell in particular and gazed into it. A young man with gray hair sat quietly in the cell, refusing to acknowledge the existence of his visitor. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Rufus began. "Ienzo?…"
Ienzo was wearing a loose fitting long sleeve gray shirt and navy blue jeans. His face was impassive and his body was oddly still. "…I keep telling you that I'm not affiliated with Xehanort anymore. Once was enough."
"What does Xehanort wants?" Rufus questioned. "How many members of Organization XIII have returned?"
"Like I told you before, me, Braig, Nerela, and Xehanort were the only ones who were able to return from our Nobody states. The others cannot return because their Nobodies were destroyed before their Heartless."
"Why did you refuse Xehanort's offer?"
Ienzo sighed heavily and looked away. "I have no interest in following that man again; whether he's a Nobody or a Whole."
"Then tell me who Xehanort is recruiting and what's his plan is."
Ienzo looked Rufus square in the eyes for the first time and chills ran down Rufus' spine. With a low even voice, the young man said, "Anyone; he recruiting anyone he can whether they know or not. As for his plan…," He paused for a moment; Rufus thought it was for dramatic effect. "He wants to start a war unlike any other. A war that will engulf the whole entire universe."
Next Chapter: Stray Dog Days of Summer
Miranda's Log Updated!
New Characters:
Derrick Blackthorn (OC): Kingdom Hearts III: Beyond the Kingdom
Braig: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (Although, technically he first appeared as Xigbar in "Kingdom Hearts II")
Ienzo: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (Although, technically he first appeared as Zexion in "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories")