Chapter 22: Odyssey of Shell City
-Shell City: Store-
When Kioku came to, his vision slowly faded into existence as he picked himself up on what felt like a small pile of rocks. He looked around, noticing that the world around him at a fish-eye view, like as if he was in a fishbowl. "The hell...?" He jogged forward, only to be knocked down by an invisible force preventing him from leaving. Yep, it was a fishbowl. However, it wasn't filled with water, much to the boy's surprise. "Spongebob! Patrick!" he shouted, hoping to hear an answer from either of the two. After seconds of silence, he realized that he needed to venture into this strange place to find his friends. "Alright, let's go.." he muttered to himself, hopping up to the edge of the fishbowl's opening and climbing out, leaping towards a shelf stocked with what looked to be gifts and sundries. As Kioku crept along the shelf, he called out to his friends again, "Sponge! Pat!"
Soon, he heard the sound of bells jingling, and a ray of light cascading in as a door was opened, and the teen quickly hid behind a couple of starfish. "Crap.." he peered out, seeing that their captor clad in scuba gear had returned from wherever he came back from. Watching him carefully, he saw the Cyclops taking a clam towards a work desk and gluing two gloogly eyes onto it's shell, all while humming a tune. "Wait, don't tell me.." Kioku muttered, looking up at a sign that read "Shell City: Marine Gifts and Sundries".
Kioku shook his head, realizing that the underwater metropolis he expected to go to was actually a gift shop somewhere on dry land. So if this place is Shell City, that means the spatula must be here somewhere. Kioku looked around, and almost immediately his eyes were pulled into the direction of a shimmering, gold spatula, sitting on a red pillow on a remote shelf. "Bingo."
"Now, all that's left is to find the other two." Kioku said, stealthily sneaking along the shelf. The Cyclops got up from his desk and walked over to another fishbowl, pulling two familiar faces out of the water. The two pink and yellow beings were screaming in fear as the giant walked back over to the desk and threw them onto the surface, allowing them to bath in the light as he walked away. Kioku knew that Spongebob deactivated his spell to breath on dry land solely for this mission, and it was only a matter of time before him and Patrick shrivel up into dust.
"D-Dammit!" Kioku shouted, hastily sprinting towards the desk. He hopped over sales signs and all of the other creations the Cyclops had made, getting closer to the desk. He leaped from one shelf to another before flipping onto the work desk, running to Spongebob and Patrick's aid. "Sponge! Pat!"
"K-Kioku.." Spongebob said in an withered tone. "You're okay..."
"Did you..find the spatula?" Patrick asked.
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter right now." Kioku said, summoning his Keyblade in a flash of light. He looked up at the ceiling, seeing that there were sprinklers hanging from various spots. He spun his Keyblade and aimed it at one of the sprinkler's casting a Fire spell on it to set it off, allowing water to rain down on everything in the store. Soon, Spongebob and Patrick were rejuvenated and hopped back up to their feet. "Good thinking, Kioku!"
A low moaning sound erupted from the Cyclops, who returned from outside to see his store getting soaked from the sprinklers. He turned his head, noticing Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick standing on his workbench, and quickly marched towards them threateningly. The teen got into a stance with his Keyblade, "Hey! We ain't gettin' outta here without a fight! We can nab that spatula on our way out!" he said, nodding at the two.
Spongebob and Patrick nodded back, summoning their weapons in a shimmering flash. "Let's take 'im down, boys!" Patrick cheered.
-INFORMATION: Defeat the Cyclops!-
(Battle Theme: Defense of the Virtuous)
The Cyclops wound up his fist and sent it crashing onto the workbench, with the three dodging out of the way in time. Kioku leaped forward and slammed his Keyblade into the Cyclops' knuckles, following up with a few more strikes before shooting a Blizzara shard at his hand, freezing it over. The Cyclops stumbled backwards, moaning in pain as he held his frozen arm, with Spongebob raising his staff into the air and shocking the giant with a Thundara spell, making him fall onto the desk with a loud thud. The three laid into the stunned Cyclops with a barrage of attacks, wearing it down as it had started to climb back up to it's feet. The giant pounded the workbench rapidly with his fists, knocking the three back with the massive shockwaves his fists produced.
The Cyclops raised his fists into the air and slammed them onto the workbench a final time, with Kioku taking the opportunity to climb onto the giant and run along it's arm. "This is it!", The teen taunted as he spun into the air and wound up his Keyblade, tossing it into the Cyclops' helmet with a massive wallop, knocking the titan over. Kioku landed back onto the workbench and looked towards his companions, summoning his Keyblade back to him. "This'll do it!" Patrick shouted, summoning a large anchor, twirling it to create momentum and threw it high into the air. The starfish grabbed Kioku and Spongebob, spinning them around and threw them towards the airborne anchor before hopping after them as well. The three grabbed onto the anchor and hurled towards the Cyclops, who had suddenly caught them. The titan climbed back up to his fist and tossed them into the air. As he wound up his other fist, Kioku dashed towards Patrick, slamming his shoulder into his back and firing him at the Cyclops' helmet, stunning him.
(Kioku: Item Increased!)
(Spongebob: MP up!)
(Patrick: Item Increased!)
The Cyclops toppled over and fell with a giant crash, with the three of them landing safely onto a nearby shelf. Kioku exhaled, "That was close." The teen wiped his forehead, looking over at the shimmering spatula sitting across the shop. He pointed towards it, "Spatula's that way. We'd better hurry, the kingdom could be in trouble." Spongebob and Patrick gave a brief nod and they make a break for the spatula. Kioku grunted as he picked up the gigantic tool, with the other two grabbing onto it and hoisting it onto their shoulder.
-Shell City: Beach Front-
The three made their way towards the exit and the bell on the door jingling at they stepped foot on the beach that surrounded the gift shop, the sun beaming down with a salty breeze washing over their faces. "Okay, it so how are we getting back to the kingdom?" Kioku asked, looking back at his companions. Spongebob shrugged, "This is only one of a the few times I've been on the surface. The Cyclops took us pretty far from where we were."
"Kioku? Spongebob and Patrick?" A familiar voice called out from above them. The three looked around, only to see a gigantic Zora tower over them, casting a large shadow. "You've seemed to have found dry land."
Kioku looked up, "Yeah, far from Bikini Bottom though. Big guy get you, too?" The boy asked, wondering if the Cyclops kidnapped the prince after a certain period of time.
The prince shook his head, "I washed up onto the island. Although, I wonder why you three are so...small?"
"Beats me, could be Sponge's magic or something. I think we'll be good after getting back." Kioku sighed. "You know the way?"
Sidon pointed towards the water, "I'd imagine it be somewhere in the middle of the ocean. I can swim pretty fast, you'll just have to ride on my back."
Kioku turned to Spongebob and Patrick, who nodded hesitantly, he turned to look up at Sidon, shrugging. "We don't really have a choice."
"Great!" Sidon gave a thumbs up, "Let's get going!"
The large Zora picked up the three and set them on his shoulder, beginning to sprint towards the ocean. He knelt down and hopped high into the air, diving down towards the water, coming down with a splash. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick held onto Sidon's shoulder, sliding towards his back as the Zora began swimming out into the sea. "You guys alright back there?" Sidon asked in a shout.
"We're good!" The three shouted back, standing up straight and getting themselves together. The spatula was tucked into Sidon's belt, keeping it from falling into the sea. The teen folded his arms, "Hope we make it back in time, Mindy said Plankton had some of the townspeople under mind control. Who knows what he could've done this far."
Kioku chuckled as he remembered Plankton playing second fiddle to Ganondorf when they were on board the Halberd. He had no idea Plankton was capable of doing something like enslaving Bikini Bottom. Could the Heartless play some part in this?
"Plankton's plan just shows us how much of a coward he is," Spongebob started. "He had to lure us all the way out to some gift shop on the surface just to attack when the kingdom was vulnerable. The regular guards stand no chance against the Heartless."
"He'll be seeing us very soon, won't be too long 'til we get back to town." Kioku said, stretching his arms. He peered out into the distance, seeing a metallic box-like vessel speeding towards them. "What?" The teen muttered, pulling the attention of Spongebob and Patrick. As the box got closer, they saw a black and gray like substance forming on the metallic boot, forming into the large muscular fish, around the same miniature size as Kioku and his friends. To their surprise, Dennis had been resurrected. The large fish hopped off of the diver's boot, landing on Sidon's back, in front of Kioku. The three retreated backwards and summoned their weapons.
"You thought you've seen the last of me?" Dennis laughed, unsheathing his hunting knife. "I never leave a job unfinished!"
Kioku shook his head, "Gotta hand it to him, his persistence is inspiring."
"There's no room for you here!" Patrick shouted slamming his shield together threateningly. The teen smirked, "Do us a favor and get lost!"
-INFORMATION: Defeat Dennis!-
(Battle Theme: Vim and Vigor)
Dennis charged up his fist with darkness, leaping into the air and bringing it down on Sidon's back. The Zora faltered slightly, grunting in pain. "Get this guy off!"
Kioku spun around and swung his Keyblade, striking Dennis in the chin, following up with another swipe, this one knocking Dennis backwards towards Sidon's legs. The teen dashed towards him, swinging his key around to try and get another hit in. Spongebob used Aerora to boost towards Dennis and cast Zero Gravira, causing him to drift into the air helplessly. Kioku twirled his Keyblade and spun it into Dennis using the keychain and zipped around acrobatically as he clobbered him with several hits.
Dennis channeled more darkness around his body, dispersing the gravity orb and blasting Kioku and Spongebob backwards. He grabbed his blade and charged forward with impressive speed, Kioku barely dodging the fish's knife. Patrick hurled his shields at Dennis' head, discombobulating him momentarily. Spongebob dashed around the starfish, uppercutting Dennis into the air with his staff, with Kioku twirling his Keyblade and pointing it to the sky. "THUNDER!" he shouted, striking Dennis with several bolts of Thundara magic. The burly fish landed on Sidon's backside in great pain, crawling back up to his feet. Dennis sheathed his knife and put his fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly. "Come and get 'em! Lunch time!"
Swimming toward them was the fin of a large piranha-like Heartless, that hopped out of the water and arced over Sidon's body. Kioku and the others gawked at the Heartless in awe before returning their eyes to Dennis. Kioku gripped his Keyblade, "Heartless. Didn't see that one coming at all." He commented sarcastically.
"Protect Sidon! I'll deal with the muscle head!" Kioku ordered, charging for Dennis as the other two attended to his Heartless companion. As the Heartless sprung out from the water again, Patrick threw his shields at it and stunned it, having it fall towards Sidon's back. Spongebob cloaked himself with Fira orbs and charged into the Heartless, dealing a few hits. Meanwhile, Kioku and Dennis traded blows, with one another dodging and parrying every other swing they took. The teen ducked Dennis' knife as it cut the wind above him, countering with a rising golf-like swing from his Keyblade, successfully knocking Dennis into the air.
"Spongebob! Quickly!" Kioku called, holding out his hand to the sponge. As Patrick finished off the Heartless with an anchor, Spongebob ran towards Kioku and grabbed his hand, a bright light enveloping the two. "LIGHT!" Kioku shouted as he absorbed Spongebob, his clothes changing from black and grey to a blueish-indigo and black, his Mage Form. His Keyblade morphed into a staff and he immediately torched the falling Dennis with Fira spells, winding up his Keystaff to slam it down on his head and bring him to the ground. The teen pelted Dennis with blasts of magic from his staff, finishing him off with an explosion of magic orbs that dispersed from the end of his staff, knocking the fish out into the sea
(Kioku: *Triple Rush)
(Mage Form: Level Up: *Auto Mage)
As Kioku's clothes and Keyblade reverted back to normal, Spongebob materialized beside him and Patrick, looking out into the distance. "So, that's the last of him, right?" he asked.
Kioku shrugged, "I hope so. Now we can make to the kingdom in one piece." He said, turning towards Sidon's upper body. "Hey! How much longer 'til we reach home base?"
"Getting to dive down right now, boys!" Sidon shouted over the rushing water. "Hold on tight!"
Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick nodded to each other and grabbed onto Sidon's shoulder, holding for dear life as Sidon leaped into the air. The Zora twirled and dove deep into the water, piercing through the sea like a speeding bullet. The three had began to scream frantically as they sped towards the kingdom like a meteorite crashing towards a helpless planet. "PLAAAAAAAAAAANKTOOOOOOOOOOON!" Kioku shouted, calling after his sworn enemy as the kingdom grew closer and closer.