I never thought I was going to get this chapter finished. What saved it was the fact that since I plan to rewrite this thing I can keep this like it is and then improve on it later. for anyone out there who's curious. 'THIS' is what happens when you're afraid of being indecisive. (Like one of the first questions you're asked in KH1) It can be your worst enemy. the other reason why it's so late is because I got a job. I'm pretty good at it too. :)
I am so sorry this took so long. believe me, I'd love to snap my fingers and have updates finished for every single story I'm working on, but my time is so limited right now. I was lucky enough to get two days off in a row. Hopefully you won't have to wait another six months for the next update.
Until then, Enjoy!
Chapter 38
By the time Zack and the three fairies had entered the main chamber everyone else had gathered for the war meeting. Word had spread quickly thanks to Phil who had decided to listen in after Aladdin had left the room to find Cloud. Everyone was chattering at once, trying to figure out what this could mean and what they were planning. The large group didn't have to wait long for the master to arrive. When he did he cast his intense gaze on the room and everyone fell silent.
"My friends, I'm sure you've heard by now of what has transpired regarding the status of our worlds." Murmuring broke out filled with concerned voices, but were silenced when Yen Sid raised his hand.
"I share your concern, and that is why we're here to form a strategic plan; a plan to take back our homes and defeat Maleficent and her heartless for good!"
"But what about Sora, we can't go into battle without him," came the voice of Mulan who had stood up to make herself be heard.
"She's right," replied another.
"Where is he?"
"Sora will be found and will return to help us, but until then Riku shall take his place."
Taking a slow, deep breath to calm his nerves, Riku stood and made his way to the front of the room. "Some of you have known me for a long time, others for only a short while, but I've known Sora ever since we were three. We did everything together so I know a thing or two about him and how he would handle things. I know I'm just a stand in, but I have learned a few tricks since my escape from that witch's prison and I promise that we will win."
Aerith smiled and added in her encouragement while Leon nodded his approval before he continued.
"I know you're afraid. Last time Maleficent tried to take over she almost succeeded. But she didn't and while it took a lot of help from the friends he made in the end it was Sora, Donald and Goofy who defeated her and saved our worlds. This time we have twenty times that number."
"But Maleficent has many more Heartless than the last time," argued the Beast. "And don't say it seems that way because we're outside of our own worlds. I was there in her castle. I saw the horrors she unleashed."
Riku's expression saddened as he recalled that time and that he didn't help matters any. "I know," he replied softly. The beast saw the apology Riku was offering him and nodded in return. "Do you have a plan?"
Riku nodded. "I have the start of one."
"Well let's hear it already," came Phil's grumpy remark.
"Our numbers are strong, but we need more if we're going to stand a better chance. I'm not willing to risk it when she could easily have a surprise attack waiting for us. I suggest we set out in groups to look for anyone who is still willing and able to fight. We'll ask them to join us and strengthen our forces."
"We'll also need to stock up on items," Aerith added. "It won't do us any good if we run out of healing items and ethers to replenish our magic."
"Yes, that is very important," added Merlin. "I also suggest we grab any items that may strengthen our resistance to dark magic."
"The moogles can help with that," Leon replied.
Several other people spoke up, trying to suggest anything they could think of that might be helpful. Yen Sid was pleased to see everyone so eager, but what caught his interest was the hand sticking up in the back.
"Yes Zack, what do you have to add?"
The room quieted down as the spiky-haired warrior pushed off from the wall. "Preparing for battle is perfectly fine, but what are we going to do once we get to the castle? I'm normally all for charging in swinging, but we should have a real strategy."
Yen Sid looked to Riku who shrugged in return. "If you have an idea then let's hear it."
As the ex-SOLDIER made his way to the front some of the others looked on, for many of them this would be the first time they got to know his character. All most of them had known before was that he was simply Cloud's friend. The blonde warrior had proven himself to be a reliable ally countless times, as had the others who had come from his world. They had no doubt Zack would do the same.
Zack looked around the room at each one of them before pointing to the three fairies in the back. "You ladies, you're good with magic, right?"
"Yes," answered Fauna.
"Why do you ask," asked Merryweather.
"I saw what you did outside, but what else can you do? Can you cast spells on heartless or make an energy shield?"
"Our magic doesn't work that way I'm afraid," replied Flora.
"We can create weapons," replied Merryweather. Flora gave her a stern look.
"However they don't last long," she corrected, "and we've only been able to do it once."
"Besides, our magic is designed for good," Fauna added.
"Even combined our powers are no match for Maleficent's evil magic," Flora finished.
Zack nodded. "Even so, if there is any way you can help then let me know and I can figure out a way to make it work."
"Pardon me, my good fellow," asked Jack Skellington as he raised a bony hand. "Have you ever done anything like this before?"
Zack smiled at the question. "Don't worry; I'm not taking the place of the leader. If the rule says we have to follow a key bearer then that's what we'll do, but this isn't my first great battle. I know how to fight when the numbers are stacked against me. Even if this is all we have to fight with I can make the best of it."
Yen Sid sensed something behind those words that left him with no doubt that he could back up his claims. "Let's hear this plan of yours."
~*~StL~*~
Maleficent strolled through her castle. She could feel her powers growing with each world her heartless consumed. The heart of each world itself may be protected by a magical lock, but the hearts of the inhabitants weren't. Soon everyone would bow to her rule or become what they fear most; Heartless.
She stood on a balcony and gazed at her beloved cornerstone of darkness.
Pete didn't want to disturb her, especially when he had bad news, but it was something she needed to know. "Maleficent?"
"What is it," she snapped, not pleased that she had been disturbed.
Pete gulped nervously before he answered. "It's about 'da keyblade runt. He's…"
"Get on with it," she barked as her patience was growing thin.
"He's well, we can't be sure for certain, but there was this huge explosion in the area where we was watchin' out for 'im and well we think his ship blew up and that he's gone."
Maleficent just turned and stared at him, which made Pete nervous. "I'm sorry, I know you wanted him back here to turn him into a heartless an' all, but there was nothin' we could do."
Maleficent just blinked slowly before turning back to look out the window. "Is that why you interrupted my peace? Sora is no longer of any consequence."
Pete blinked in surprise. "But all 'dat anger before…you wanted him bad. Why is it suddenly no big deal?"
She tilted her head as if she couldn't understand how he could be so stupid. "Come with me."
She led him down a long hallway and into the library. The books were shredded and scattered all over the floor, but what surprised Pete were the prisoners that were locked up. Queen Minnie he knew, but there was also the underwater princess he had kidnapped along with a small lion cub, a small fairy and the princess from the desert world.
"I have no doubt that the resistance will launch one final attack. Think of it as its last dying breath if you will," she informed Pete. "However with these prisoners to use against them they'll soon lose their will to fight, and when they lower their guard that is the moment I will strike."
Pete blinked in amazement at this before something caught his eye. It was light coming from beneath the side door. "What's that," he asked.
"That," she repeated before turning away from it, "no longer matters, but it may still have some use...one day."
~*~StL~*~
The light of the space road could barely keep ahead of Fenrir as Cloud pushed it as fast as it could go. He had heartless chasing him at times, but none of them could keep up. A few tried to destroy the road like before, but the swordsman wasn't about to let that happen again. The heartless were easily dispatched with a few swings of his sword. His main focus however was directed to the two lights. With the new power given to him by the fairies he could sense the energy string of purple light getting closer to the string of white light. There was one thing he didn't understand when he first sensed it. This power was supposed to help him find his friends by using the bonds he had established. It confused him when his energy string appeared, but it soon became apparent when the string was surrounded by darkness. Whether Cloud liked it or not he shared a strong bond with Sephiroth. They would always be connected, Sephiroth had been right about that, but that didn't make them the same.
Cloud tried to get there in time, but it was still a long ways off, but he witnessed the two strings meet and his temper flared when the two strings intertwined. Then they simply vanished. Cloud tried to focus his power, his only reward was an intense throbbing in his head. With a fresh headache now pounding away he headed to where the two lights met, hoping there'd be a clue there that might tell him where to go next.
When he got there he saw nothing except for the remains of Axel's ship. The Flaming Comet was destroyed. He pulled over on a large slap of rock and looked around through the wreckage that was floating in the empty space. He couldn't see any signs of life, but he wasn't about to give up after coming all this way. He began examining the wreckage for any signs of damage that could tell him the story of what had happened.
He soon found his answer when he found what was left of the living quarters of the ship. There was a dome of water that was covering part of the structure and as Cloud approached it, the water evaporated and a blonde in a black coat began to fall forward. Cloud caught him before he could he could hit the ground and set him carefully down. The man was barely conscious.
"St-stay back," Demyx warned, but it was an empty threat and Cloud took no offense to it.
"It's alright, I'm a friend. What happened here?"
Demyx closed his eyes. "He did all this with no effort. He took Sora and left us for dead."
"Where did they go," asked Cloud.
"I don't know," the nobody shook his head. "It was all I could do to save us. It's my fault. If I hadn't wanted to go exploring then it wouldn't have come to this…it's all my…" The blonde fell unconscious.
Cloud looked over the two, making sure they were both still breathing before heading back over to Fenrir. He had hoped he'd never have to use it, but the two injured nobodies left him with no other choice. He activated the bike's UPS.
~*~StL~*~
Cid had chosen to ignore the meeting in favor of tinkering with the small computer he had brought along. It would do no good to try and link it up with the system back in Radiant Garden because he was afraid of anymore viruses and it was too far out for the signal to reach anyway. That's why it surprised him when a signal did come through.
"What's that," asked Yuffie who had retreated to the makeshift computer room out of boredom.
Cid looked up at the monitor and chuckled. "Well what do ya know, he actually used it."
"Who did, used what?"
"Cloud's callin' out to us, using the UPS I installed in Fenrir."
"U-P what," asked the ninja.
"The Universal Positioning System. He said he'd probably never use it, but I was right to install it."
"Are you ever going to start making sense," she pouted as she folded her arms.
Cid rose up after jotting down the coordinates. "It means he needs our help." With that he hurried out of the room to find the others with Yuffie following.
Within the span of ten minutes a team was headed out to aid their friend. Scrooge sat at the controls of his gummi ship as he and the crew consisting of Tifa, Zack, Beast and Aladdin set a course for the location Cid had provided.
It had taken a bit, but the group was relieved when they found their comrade unharmed and perfectly fine. Their relief turned to unease as they learned the news he had to tell. As Axel and Demyx were carried onto the ship Tifa and Zack stood off to the side with Cloud.
"It's too dangerous, I'm going alone." Cloud wasn't about to risk Tifa's safety against such a dangerous enemy.
"Oh and it's perfectly safe for you to go alone," she countered.
He sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've been over this. I'm the only one who's ever been a match for him."
"But what about before, during the great battle? You needed me there."
"That was different," he argued. "I wasn't ready to face the light."
"Don't worry Tifa, I'd never let my best buddy face that guy alone, not when I can help it anyway," Zack chimed in with a grin.
"Ugh, Zack, not you too." Why did every fight Cloud face have to be a losing battle, verbal or otherwise? "You didn't have a problem letting me fight alone before I left. Why's it suddenly different?"
Zack motioned with his hand at the still very apparent damage. "He did this without breaking a sweat, that's why. Let me come with you and we'll beat him together this time."
The very idea of Zack fighting Sephiroth again sent a wave of fear through the blonde like a bullet through his heart. "No! This is my fight and my task. Your job is to help Riku plan the counter attack."
He instantly regretted the tone he had used, and although it had surprised his two friends they exchanged a look and understood the fear he had of losing them. Zack only smirked as he placed a strong hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay, we know. Just promise not to get yourself killed?"
"And bring Sora back," Tifa added.
Cloud nodded before Zack let go. He headed for Fenrir and looked back at them. "I'll see you there."
"Give 'em hell Spike," Zack told him with a salute.
Cloud returned the two-fingered salute before revving up the engine and taking off. He was more focused now and had spotted the energy strings up ahead. There was only one world in that direction and it was one no one had traveled to in some time.