Chapter 53: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
"Why did their ship crash?" Roxas said as King Mickey piloted the Gummi Ship down towards the world, the ship Riku was piloting right behind them.
"I can't quite tell from the message they sent us. I already told Leon that they'll be later than expected, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem," Mickey said as they began to land.
Roxas than immediately recognized the world from looking out the cockpit. "Wait, this is Halloween Town!"
"You've been here?" Donald asked.
"Yeah. I went on a few missions here when with the Organization."
"Well, this time you have to get in an outfit to fit in," Donald said as he began to cast a spell.
Roxas sighed. At least hopefully he didn't become a fox.
******
"Are you ssssure thisssss issss nesssissary?" Yami said, hissing.
"Trust me, the citizens of the town don't look like your ordinary folk," Sora said in his outfit he had been in his last visits to Halloween Town.
He, Donald and Goofy were in all of their outfits when they had come here before, and everyone else looked different too. Kairi looked over herself again, not really liking the changes as she looked really gothic, her hair even with blue highlights. She had also become really pale as two of her teeth streach out further. She was a vampires. "Sora, I really don't like this," she said, looking around her clothes which were now all black, a small cape on her back.
Riku meanwhile rolled his slightly just looking at the others. He himself was slightly floating in the air, and slightly transparent, except for his hands, feet, and his head. He had become an odd type of ghost. "Well at least people can't reach through your body Kairi."
King Mickey, who looked like a zombie shrew, then tried to explain to Yami why they had to take these forms to protect their identity as outsiders on certain worlds. "I understand that, sssomewhat, but why do I have to be like thissss?!" she said, slithering around as she had become a Naga. From the waist down she had a snake body, and a forked tongue made her keep hissing her "s".
Valdamar was just plain weird as he tested around his limbs, as he appeared to be part robot. His left arm and part of his face was covered in metallic plates, some of his hair missing as well. He tested out his bionic eye to see further as he put his fedora back in the Gummi Ship for safekeeping. Neku just sighed, a black cloak over him completely, his right arm that of a skeleton, a scythe on his back. "A reaper, how ironic," he mutter to himself.
Axel looked at the surroundings, back in his pirate outfit. Namine looked like she had back on her white dress, that is if it were black and draped down to her feet. An odd witch hat also sat upon her head as she knelt down to a werewolf Roxas sitting on the ground, looking at his clawed hands. "It'll be temporary Roxas," she assured him.
"Yeah, but why animals? First a fox, and now a wolf. What's next?"
"So, what's wrong with the ship?" Axel asked Sora.
"Uh…nothing to me understanding," Neku said.
"What?!" Yami said. "Than what are we doing here in thessse forms?!" she hissed angrlly.
"That," Sora said, pointing to outside the town.
Valdamar used his robotic eye, and zoomed at what Sora was pointing at. He then used his eye to take a picture of the scene, and then projected it onto the ground. Donald Goody gasped. "Oggie's house!" they said at once.
"Huh?" said nearly everyone.
"So I see you are confounded as me!!" boomed a mysterious voice.
Everyone looked in different directions, Yami and Riku summoning keyblades. "Show yourself!" Riku dared the voice.
Suddenly, the ground trembled underneath Riku as he quickly glided back before A skeleton's hand popped out from the ground. Then the ground burst slightly as a really tall skeleton popped out from the ground. "BOO!" he yelled at everyone.
Nearly everyone took a step back or tow in fright except for Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who ran forward. "Jack!" Sora said.
"You know him?" Neku said.
"Another Jack? I hope it's not like Sparrow," Axel said.
"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Jack said quickly shaking hands with each one. "I just can't help to say you came in perfect timing."
"Uh, Time out, what's going on here?" Kairi said, very confused.
"Please, excuse me. I am Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King!" he said giving a pose that would seem scary to a child. Sora than introduced everyone to Jack. "Well any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine. But I see you noticed that as well which is bothering me."
"How did Oggie's house come back Jack?" Goofy asked.
"Not just Oggie's house, but him as well."
"What?!" Donald quacked.
"I'm quite so sure. Suddenly one day," Jack said. "POOF! It appeared in a smoke. And then Oggie came in town destroying anything he could find from Sora's last visit along some shady looking fellow."
"The Seekers," Roxas muttered.
"What do you mean by Sora's last visit?" Namine asked.
"Wait, you don't mean all of the Christmas decorations, do you?" Sora said.
"Wait, Christmas?" Riku said. "Isn't this Halloween Town?"
"It's a long story," Jack said quickly, waving his hands.
*****
"So you mean to tell me that all of these doors lead to different holidays!" Valdamar said, his voice slightly monotone from his robot parts.
"Exactly!" Jack exclaimed pointing to a Christmas tree in one of the trees, a golden ornament for a door handle. "And this tree leads to Christmas Town! Last I saw, Oggie and the stranger went this way to the woods. I think Oggie Boogie may be back to take everything from Christmas Town like he tried last time."
"And somehow one of the Seekers brought him back to do so," Axel said. "They wouldn't interfere with a world unless there was a piece of the Royal Scroll there. I guess it was a good idea you stopped here Sora."
"But why bring back his entire house?" Kairi asked.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg I think," Neku said. "While he may be in Christmas Town, I think there's something up with that house still."
It was decided they would split up into two groups. Roxas, Namine, Axel, Neku, Yami, and Mickey ran off to Oggie's house while Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack, Kairi, Riku, and Vald would go to Christmas Town. "We'll come back after investigating," Neku said as they ran off.
"Watch out for the heartless!" Jack warned them as they ran off.
"There's still heartless here?" Goofy asked.
"The heartless will always exist on a world as long as there is darkness in one's heart on that world," Riku said, looking at the odd door.
"Kairi, go ahead and open it," Sora said.
"Uh, okay," she said, stepping forward and opened the door. There was nothing, just a dark hole. Kairi, Riku, and Valdamar leaned to look in. There was nothing. Kairi turned around to look back at Sora. "There's nothing."
"You sure?" Sora said, a small smile on his face.
Kairi than felt a cold wind come from behind her. Suddenly, it began to suck her backwards. They cried out as the three were pulled in through the cold wind, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack jumping behind them. The first three screamed as they spiraled around in circles, the experienced four used to this portal whooping like it was a roller coaster. Suddenly, there was a light as they all were propelled out a tree with a pumpkin door as they all landed onto the ground in an odd pile. Kairi than felt something against her check she had never felt before: snow. She got on her knees as picked up a piece of the snow. "So this is what snow's like," she said, amazed.
Riku also picked up the snow, and looked at it for a second. He then quickly wiffed a snowball at Sora, hitting him in the face. "Hey!" he said, whipping one back at Riku, only to forget he was part ghost and it flied right through him. "No fair!"
"Guys, can we have your rivalry another time. We have to stop this walking burlap sack you're talking about," Valdmar said as he and Jack began to walk towards Christmas Town, the others following.
Kairi then realized something as they were walking down the snow hill. "Wait, if this is Christmas Town…that means that…"
"Santa's there," Sora finished for her.
"You've got to be kidding me," Riku said.
"Riku, after all the stuff we've seen, don't you think there's a chance that Santa actually exists?" Sora said.
"Of course Sandy Claws exists! Why I even helped him out one Christmas!" Jack said.
"You helped?" Valdamar said.
Jack waved his hands again. "Another long story."
Kairi looked at Christmas Town more excitedly. "Wow, Santa!"
*****
"These kids?! Again!" Roxas growled summoning his keyblades.
Lock, Shock, and Barrel laughed as they began to run crazily across the room. However, because there were numerous people against them, and it was easier for his majesty to block them since he was around their size, the three pests were soon stopped and put in a corner.
"Now just explain to us what Oggie and his house are doing back here," Axel said, threateningly.
"Not our idea. Big guy in cloak brought him back," Lock said.
"Yep, Seekers," Neku said.
"Which one?" Yami asked, trying to avoid the letter "s".
"Brown, why? Are there more of him?" said Shock said.
"Lexaeus!" Namine said.
"Hey, they do know about him," Barrel said, pointing a finger.
The other two slapped him. "Shut up!" Shock ordered.
"Why did he bring Oggie back?" Yami asked.
"Something about needing him to 'get back'," Barrel said, before being slapped again.
"Back where?" Mickey asked.
"He said, 'the past' but we know that's not possible, so it must mean something else," Lock said.
Mickey thought to himself, and then gasped. "You three, get out of here and don't come back!" he quickly yelled at the three.
"No problem!" Shock said, out of nowhere bringing out a bomb.
"Look out!" Neku said as everyone moved out of the way all the small explosion went off, the three kids giggling as they ran out of Oggie's house. "Why did you tell them to get out?" Roxas asked.
"If Lexaeus is trying to go back in time, he needs to access it through a special doorway that can take people back in time. Only very few can create such doors. One is Merlin, but there's another here that can do so."
"Who?"
"Santa Clause."
*****
"…and you honestly believe he did all of those gifts in one night?" Lexaeus said, Oggie holding Santa captive. "Of course not. With him being able to open doors in time, it made it much easier. True, he may have the sleigh and all, but the doors with time are crucial."
"Oggie!" Jack said, everyone with weapons drawn other than Jack who just pointed at the soulz of Oggie Boogie. "What do you have to do with this?"
Oggie laughed, holding onto a tied up Santa Clause. "Well, Jack, This guy offered a little something for me in return if I helped him out, you see. But I don't feel like one to tell you, so I'll leave it be!"
"Stop this!" Sora said, running to help Santa Clause, but stopped when Lexaeus held his ax sword at Santa. "Darn you."
"Now Santa, if you don't mind."
Santa shook his head. "What are you trying to get from him anyway?" Riku asked.
"Not from him, but from the past. You see more than a year ago when Sora originally destroyed Oggie Boogie with his house, he destroyed a part of the Royal Scroll."
"How do you know this?" Kairi said.
"A reliable source of intelligence. Now Santa, you see, either way you have to open a door, so now it's either for me or for them."
Just then an explosion went through a window of Santa's workshop where the rest of the party jumped through, weapons pointed at Lexaeus and Oggie Boogie. "The jig is up!" Axel said.
"Is that so, redhead?" Oggie said, pulling a switch hidden behind him.
Suddenly, the platform where they just entered on pulled backwards onto a treadmill where gifts wrapped were supposed to come through, but instead heartless started coming through. "How do you like heartless?" Oggie said.
"Like ice cream on a summer day," Roxas said. "It's easy to make it disappear!"
They ran across the great treadmill, fighting off the heartless and get back to Boogie as Sora and Riku took the distracted moment to attack Lexaeus while Valdamar used his whip to break Santa free from Oggie's grip. Jack than sent a dazzle of spells at Oggie Boogie, sending the bag of bugs back. Lexaeus may have been strong and swift enough to keep Sora and Riku at bay, but it wasn't enough to stop Kairi who had snuck up from behind. "AURA!" she shouted.
The blast of light blasted at Lexaeus as it sent him through the air, through Riku, and straight into Ultima Weapon. Lexaeus feel to the floor, but quickly pounded the ground as the entire structure shook, heartless and conveyer belt flying up in the air, the others trying to stay balanced. Sora got from he had fallen just than to see Lexaeus grab a device from his cloak. "I was trying to save this for a future use, but you leave me no choice."
He clicked the device, and disappeared in a white flash. "What happened?" Kairi asked.
"He went through time," Santa said walking over.
"BUT YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME!"
Suddenly Oggie jumped from where Jack had him cornered, an odd glow around him. "You see, he promised me a power, and now, I can take you all on!" he laughed.
It was only then he noticed that the power was breaking apart his bag. "No! No! That can't be!" he said, trying to keep himself together.
"The darknessss he gave you can't work with ssssome many bugsssss in you. It cannot be contained," Yami said, moving over as Riku saw a small stream of the darkness being absorbed by her.
"NO!" Oggie cried out. "My bugs! My bugs! My bugs! My bugs! My bugs!" The voice getting softer as Oggie deflated as the bugs fell out of the bag, unable to take the power of darkness. One large bug tried to scuttle away, but Yami swung the tip of her tail and squished it, a smile of success on her face. "I hate bugs," she simply said.
"That still leaves Lexaeus," Sora said, turning to Santa. "Please, you've got to help us. Can you open a door to let us stop him."
"I can for helping us, but not for you Sora."
"Huh?"
"Looks like you made the naughty list this year," Riku joked.
"That's not it," Valdamar said, scratching his metal chin with his real hand. "What I think Santa is getting at is that if you went back in time and met yourself, that would cause a time paradox."
"Wait, one of those things that makes the entire universe explode?" Axel said.
"Theoretically, but we can't take that chance," Santa said. "So Sora, we can only send someone not already existing in that current time and place, and someone you did not already know at the time."
******
Neku, Valdamar, and Yami crouched as they saw a younger Sora with Donald, Goofy, and Jack run across the hill that stretched out so they could get to Oggie Boogie. "But why bring back the house is my question," Neku said as they sneaked after them in the past.
"From what I can guess," Valdamar said, "for some reason Lexaeus believed that having the house in the current time frame would keep the house the way it was in the past time frame, that way not disturb events if he had gone back through time.
"Well, Mr. Sssscience, wassss that the best you could explain to usss in sssimple termssss," Yami hissied, trying to keep up with the two that still had legs.
"Yes madam snake. I thought saying anything much more complicated would cause you to shed your skin."
"I really hate you," Yami said.
"Yeah, you're a great friend too."
Yami laughed slightly. "It's been a while sssince we've been able to joke, huh?"
"Yeah. Let's laugh later though. We've got to get to that Royal Scroll before Lexaeus."
"Going somewhere?" said a familiar voice behind them.
The turned just as Lexaeus sent a blast of darkness at the three. Yami quickly moved in front of them, absorbing the blast and sending it back at Lexaeus who blocked the darkness with his weapon, causing it to dissipate. "GO!" Yami yelled. "I will take care of him."
Neku nodded and zoomed even faster across the haunted land of the past, Valdamar running besides him for a second. He then quickly turned around. "What are you doing?!" Neku said.
Go on, Valdamar thought, knowing Neku could hear them. Yami can distract him, but not keep him back alone. You can do this, I trust you. Neku nodded, and glided faster, his reaper cloak twirling in the wind going pass him. He then saw a fallen group of trees that lay in front of him hidden in the shadows. He quickly telepathically took the scythe from his back and used it to cut through them. He continued to zoom forward as he came upon Oggie's house from a back way.
He used a powerful but draining psych power to get up to the top part of Oggie's house from behind. He gently landed as he could hear voices from inside. He instantly recognized it as the three annoying kids they stopped earlier (or would it be later?) as they told Sora, Donald, Goody, and Jack of the past about Oggie being in the lower level. After they left, the kids snickered. "At least they didn't see that new thing Oggie told us to keep secret," came Barrel's voice.
"What do you think it is anyway?" Lock asked, as the kids began to talk wildly about this hidden treasure was.
Neku debated on how he could get in and get the Royal Scroll, moving the scythe with his skeleton hand. Wait, he had all the tools, why not just act. He pulled the hood over his face, and put the scythe in his human hand. He then floated inches above the ground, and broke in through the window and swept into the room. The kids cried out at once. "Who are you?!"
I…I am Death! Neku broadcasted thoughts into their minds, preventing form using his voice, and then pointed his skeleton finger at them. And the time has come for the three of you.
"N-N-No! Please! Spare us!" the kids began to give pleas to not die.
Hm…well, what do you have to trade to keep your lives for the moment?
They offered random things that were in the room, but Neku just shook his head each time. Finally, Shock held up the piece of the Royal Scroll she had been clinging onto. Neku quickly snatched it from her and pretended to browse it over. I see….hm…yes. This will do. But remember, I will come back to get you. Neku thought, and then quickly exited from where he had entered and floated safely to the ground, throwing off his hood as went to rejoin Yami and Valdamar.
******
Yami and Valdamar together held back Lexeaus' ax sword, but his strength for some strange reason seemed to be increasing as the battle went on. They both pushed back as much as they could, but he managed to knock them to the ground. He then gave a war yell as he brought up his weapon raised to bring the final blow. However, something flung through the air and lifted it out of his hands. He turned to see Neku flying through the air, the hood back over his head. Lexeaus grabbed his weapon again, ready to throw it at Neku, but Yami had quickly moved her long tail across the ground, knocking the Brown Cloaked Seeker back, his weapon flying off course. Neku than blasted a yellow beam at the soulz, sending him further in the air. Valdamar than aimed his cyber-eye at him, and blasted a red laser at him.
Before it reached him, the soulz disappeared in portal. "Where'd he go?" Neku asked.
"Who knows, all we know is that he left. He knew he could not stop us." Valdamar said.
"Do you have it?" Yami asked.
Neku held up the Royal Scroll in his hand. Just then, an explosion rocked the ground as they saw a red flame go up in the air. "I take it that was the house," Valdamar said.
Neku nodded. "Let's head back."
******
They had come back through the time portal, and all celebrated upon getting the Royal Scroll piece, but Santa was gone. "Where is he?" Neku asked.
"Don't you know what today is?" Sora asked.
It than hit Valdamar. "It's Christmas Eve!"
"Yeah, so he already left," Goofy said, but he left us this.
He then opened a door to reveal a large room with several lines of food and also a tree with gifts underneath it. A banner that read "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" hung from above. They all began to feast, glad to take a break from the fighting. And after Jack left saying he had to rejoin Sally, to whom they were going to marry, Donald changed everyone back to normal, Yami glad she had legs and could actually talk and Roxas that he wasn't completely furry. Everyone even had rooms for the night that Santa had accommodated.
It was later that most of the group began to walk around when Axel discovered a piano. Slowly, he hit a few keys. Than it came back to him. The days when life was normal for him. When life passed when he wished it too. Not when battle was always concerned. He slowly sat down, and began a chord. He then began to play a powerful but smooth piece. Neku's Playlist: Midnight Rhapsody by Melody Bober.
Slowly, nearly everyone came in the part of the building to see who was playing. "I never knew you could play Axel," Roxas said.
"Well, couldn't really have emotions for music when a Nobody. How Demyx ever played that Sitar is a mystery to me."
He continued to play the piece until Riku noticed that someone was missing. He then walked to find out where they were. He then came across Yami sitting on a balcony, a light snow coming down from above. "Out here all alone?" he asked.
"Why do you care?" Yami asked, not turning around.
"Because…you're a friend."
Yami was silent. She only spoke after a little bit. "I've only ever had one friend before, and that was Valdamar about a year ago."
"How was that?"
"Fate I guess."
"Well, perhaps this is fate again. Us running into each other trying to find Royal Scroll. And now we have nine pieces of it."
Yami nodded. "We're closer to our goals."
Riku walked up next to her, leaning against the railing. "Mind if I join you."
"I don't care too much."
It was silent again. "You know…it's odd. I've never really had friends or a Christmas before. I've only seen glimpses of both."
"Well, it seems you have friends for gifts this year," Riku said, turning to look at the starry sky.
Yami gave a rare smile that was an actual smile. "Well…I guess that's a gift I didn't expect."
The two stood out on the balcony, looking at the night as Axel changed to playing a Christmas tune to the piano, to where everyone started singing it. Sora and Kairi stood next to each other, when Sora's voice broke and went really high pitched, to where Kairi laughed really hard, walking back. Sora walked over to her, laughing as well. "You okay," he said, all smiles.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she laughed. She than looked up, and was slightly surprised. "Um…Sora?"
"Hm?"
"Look up."
Sora looked up at the top of the doorway to see mistletoe hanging. Sora immediately began to blush. "Oh…well, I guess you know what that means," he said.
Kairi giggled. "Yeah, I guess so."
Slowly, Sora leaned his head forward, as he and Kairi kissed each other, the faint piano music in the background with their friends singing with, the snow falling on the ground softly outside. For once, all was calm.
Well, I finally reached the point I wanted by the end of the year. A little holiday special chapter, having this world done in one chapter. However, don't expect the next chapter for a little bit as I'll be out of the country (in Canada) for a few days, and then have to a lot of things when I get back, so the next part should be sometime in early/mid January, we'll see.
Thanks to all of the readers and reviews you guys have made. Enjoy the New Year!!!
Dezblade
