Despite knowing what she'd see, Aqua looked about as she flew through The Lanes Between. She was looking for Giygas' ship, despite how fast it traveled and how long it took for her to get off of the world the alien had invaded. To no surprise, she saw no trace of the massive vessel that had flown off, its leader swearing to return to finish what he started.
Aqua knew that Giygas had to be stopped, but she also had no way of doing anything about it. She hated feeling so useless in this sort of situation, but her hands were tied. Especially since the Unversed situation still hadn't been solved. Aqua would let Master Eraqus know about Giygas and the Mahjarrat she encountered in Hyrule, and she knew he'd know the right course of action.
For the time being, the Keyblade Master flew onward through The Lanes Between, letting her heart guide her. It frustrated her that she had gotten no closer to finding Vanitas since she fought him. The fact he had gotten away at all just added onto her discouragement. He had been right there…but she had let him escape…
Sighing, Aqua spaced out for a while, allowing her heart to guide her. She found herself approaching a new world before long. Like the last one, it was very normal in appearance. She had passed by some very unusual ones since leaving The Land of Departure, so she was glad the worlds she ended up in were fairly basic.
The Keyblade Master descended towards a sprawling city with busy roads, cramped sidewalks, along with tall buildings and skyscrapers. It reminded her of Ellay a bit, in fact. Aqua went into an emptier part of the city, floating down into an alleyway as she dismissed her glider and armor. Peeking out and looking back and forth, it didn't seem like anyone had noticed her, so she went off onto the sidewalk.
She was guided to this world for a reason, but what that reason was didn't make itself apparent right away. Aqua passed by people walking about without much worry, so it didn't seem like the Unversed were an issue in this world, or at least this part of it.
Before she could think further, Aqua stopped in her tracks. Walking past her was a man accompanied by…a robot?! Yes, it had to be! A well-dressed man went by her and lagging behind him was a humanoid made of metal and had four arms! Each of the arms were held packages and bags, the robot clearly carrying them for the rich looking gentleman.
To Aqua's light surprise, she nearly summoned Rainfell at the sight. It wasn't something she was happy about either; she just assumed the robot would attack. Given the number of dangerous robots she faced on Mt. Itoi, the sight of another one put her on edge. This was even keeping EVE in mind, who sacrificed herself to save the group.
Trying to ignore what she saw, Aqua went on, seeing more robots as she walked. Most of them were humanoid, but all of them were distinctly nonhuman. None of them had skin, only cold metal instead. On top of that, a majority of them had something about them that humans didn't possess like twice or thrice as many arms or legs as usual. There were things like that or robots that were eight, nine, even ten feet tall. From what Aqua could tell, they were there to do work, the robots she saw doing manual labor of some sort.
The young woman even saw billboard advertisements for robots. Some sponsored cleaning robots or robotic pets for the kids, boasting that Metro City, surely the area Aqua landed in, was the best place to buy such things. She also saw an ad for something involving some sort of weird gourd character with patchwork skin called Hyotantsugi, but she just ignored that.
So, it was obvious. Robots, in this world, weren't seen as people with hearts. They were just…products. It made her sad to think about after what happened with EVE, since she developed or awakened her heart when she saved Ninten's life. Going to another world to see robots as nothing but things was disheartening. But it was a separate world with separate cultures and laws. If the robots here were truly empty shells without hearts, it wasn't Aqua's job to worry about it.
Putting those thoughts aside, she had to wonder why she was brought to this world. There didn't seem to be any Unversed, after all. She tapped a woman on the shoulder. "Excuse me, miss?"
The older woman flinched a bit before turning to Aqua. "Hmm? What is it?"
"Has there been anything…strange going on here? I'm new around here, and I've heard rumors…" Aqua replied, making the last part up to maybe prompt the stranger into elaborating.
"You mean about those strange creatures?" The older woman replied, getting a nod from Aqua. "Oh, yes, the police force is cracking down on them. Dreadful things. We have special robots for that, don't you worry." She really said it like it was no big deal at all.
Aqua was pretty shocked that Unversed were running about, but no one seemed to care. Apparently those police robots were really doing their jobs if things were so normal in the city. "I see…that's good. Was there anything else? Has a boy in a mask been spotted around these parts?"
The stranger shook her head. "A boy in a mask? No idea what you mean. Now, is that all? I'm late for an appointment…"
"Oh. Yes, sorry. Thank you for your time." Aqua said as the older woman briskly walked off.
"Yes, yes…" The stranger murmured to herself as she went.
Aqua kept walking, thinking about what to do next. Those 'strange creatures' had to be the Unversed, she was sure of it. That just left Vanitas. Just because that woman didn't know about him didn't mean no one else did.
Without much else she felt she could do, the Keyblade Master went about the city asking about any sign of Vanitas. To her dismay, no one she asked knew about the masked boy. Asking the entire city was a ridiculous notion, and she knew that. She just had no idea what else to do.
At one point, Aqua saw quite a peculiar pair. One was a tall man in black clothing, even a cloak. Half his hair was just as black, but the other was stark white. He had some stitches on his face, particularly on the left half, where the skin there was a dark brown.
Alongside this man was a little girl with brown hair and four bows in her hair. She was rambling on about something that Aqua couldn't make out, while the man she was with didn't seem to be paying much attention.
Ignoring the man's looks, Aqua went up to him. "Excuse me, sir…?"
"Hm? What?" The man and the girl stopped, looking over to Aqua. "Do you need my services?"
"Services…? No, that's not it…" Aqua replied, wondering what services those would even be.
"I apologize, most people don't speak to me unless they need medicinal aid." The man replied, not seeming all too sorry. If anything, he seemed lightly bothered.
Aqua shook off the light awkwardness and kept going. "I was hoping to ask if you knew anything about a boy in a mask. He'd be new to these parts, and I'm just trying to find him."
The stranger shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell. I'm an unlicensed doctor, not a detective, so I can't help you further."
An…unlicensed doctor? He just openly admitted that? The man certainly got more bizarre the more Aqua interacted with him. "I…I see." She replied, taken aback by the odd confession. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."
"I think she's jusht twying to fliwt with you, Doctor!" The little girl interrupted, with a noticeable, childish speech impediment.
To her own annoyance, Aqua felt her cheeks tint red as she shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that, little girl. I just wanted to ask…" She trailed off a bit.
"Hmph! I'm twenty!" The girl replied. "And I think you're jusht a floozy!" She went on, pointing an accusatory finger at Aqua.
The young woman's eyes widened, really not expecting to hear something like that, especially from someone so young. "Excuse me?!" Aqua exclaimed, more shocked than angry. And…the girl thought she was twenty?
"Pinoko, stop that. Let's just go." The unlicensed doctor said, taking the girl by the hand and starting to drag her off.
Aqua just stood there, dumbfounded at the situation. Both the man and the girl were…odd. The girl especially, not just in her behavior, but in her looks. Her face was so oddly perfect, no blemishes or marks of any kind. It almost seemed…fake? No, that couldn't be…
Shaking off the encounter, the young woman kept going. The part of the city she was in at that moment was a lot less packed than where she started. It took her a few minutes to meet someone else. A man of short stature was walking about, seeming to be in deep thought. He wore a suit and a brown rimmed hat. His most striking feature was a long, loose white mustache that went down to his chin.
Deciding he was as best to ask as anyone else, Aqua cleared her throat as they grew near. "Excuse me, sir? Do you have a minute?"
The man looked Aqua over quickly as if trying to see if she were trustworthy. "Well, I suppose. What do you need?"
"Do you know anything about a boy in a mask? He might have appeared in the city recently, not up to anything good…" It was a bit frustrating that Aqua couldn't just be honest with people about Vanitas' true nature, but she thought it was too dangerous.
The man hummed, rubbing his chin and closed one eye as he thought. "A boy in a mask? Doesn't ring a bell…" He opened his eye and looked at Aqua in a curious manner. "Does this have to do with those strange creatures that have popped up?"
Aqua's eyes widened. "Uh, what? Why would you think that?" How did he guess so easily?"
Chuckling, the mustachioed man smirked a bit. "I'm a detective, young lady! I thought you knew that when you approached me! I'm somewhat famous in Metro City! I admit, it was a bit of a guess, but judging by your reaction, I'm right!"
Well, lying to this man would get her nowhere, so Aqua just conceded. "That's right, you are. They are connected. I'm impressed you figured it out, sir."
"Well, I pride myself in my work! I myself have been trying to figure out where these things have come from. Been nothing but pests around here!" The detective said with a light scowl before lightening up and extending a hand to shake. "The name's Shunsaku Ban. You can call me Mustachio, though. A lot of people do."
Shaking the man's hand politely, Aqua frowned a bit. "Mustachio…? Is that really alright?" It seemed a bit goofy to her. "And my name is Aqua."
Letting go of Aqua's hand, Mustachio shrugged. "It's fine! I've used names to hide my identity on the job a few times. Ones a lot weirder than that. Victor Pompous, Daddy Walrus, and even Max McNugget."
Those were…rather unfortunate. "I see…Mustachio it is. So, you're looking into the Unversed too…how has that gone?"
"Not too well!" Mustachio sneered, crossing his arms. "This is the first time I've heard of them even having a name. Unversed, huh? And this boy in a mask is connected somehow?"
"That's right. His name is Vanitas. I don't know how exactly, but I just know he's connected to them somehow. He's working with an old man too, but I don't know what his name is or what he looks like." Aqua explained, it feeling nice to actually talk openly about this. "I've been looking for him all over…but aside from what, I don't really know much about the Unversed."
Mustachio nodded, taking a notepad out of his pocket, and scribbling some things down in messy handwriting. "Well, that helps narrow it down…I guess these things are from a lab or something…"
Aqua sort of nodded along. For all she knew, he was right. The Unversed spawned from negative emotions, but maybe their origins were scientific? Who could say? "No offense, but why do you believe me? We just met, and I don't even have proof."
"Like I said, I'm a detective, part-time at least. I'm a teacher for my main job. Trust me, I know exactly when someone is lying to me." The short man said with a chuckle as he put the notepad away. "You're no liar, I can tell! And knowing at least one of the perpetrators is helpful. Say, why don't we work together? I don't usually have partners, but what the heck?"
The Keyblade Master sort of dragged Mustachio into this, so she should at least stick by his side in case of trouble. That, and it wasn't like she had any idea what to do next. "Okay, that sounds good. Did you have a place in mind to go next?"
"As a matter of fact, I do! There's a stadium in this city where robots fight it out. Barbaric…" Mustachio explained, sneering a bit. "I never liked it, but it's legal so there's nothing I can do about it! Anyway, recently it got attacked by some of those Unversed things and almost cancelled the tournament. I was gonna go there next." As he explained this, the older man started walking, Aqua following behind.
"That makes sense…but also, why don't you like robots fighting? They're just machines, aren't they?" Aqua had thought this was the case. Was she somehow wrong?
Mustachio snorted angrily through his nose. "Don't say that sort of thing around me!" He snapped. "Robots have just as many rights as we people do! At least they should! Most people see them as just objects or tools, but I see them as humans!"
Aqua was a bit taken aback at Mustachio snapping at her, but she supposed he was angry for a good cause, so she couldn't hold it against him. "That's noble of you. I…apologize, I'm from pretty far away…"
He breathed heavily through his nose. "Well…that's alright. I shouldn't have blown my casket, I apologize. You wouldn't believe the horrid things you hear people say about robots. It's enough to make my blood boil!"
"Is it really that bad?" Aqua pressed, curious. Sure, the robots were bought, but were they really treated so poorly that it was worth getting mad over?
"It is!" Mustachio insisted, huffing. This time he was more annoyed in general, rather than at Aqua. "Buying robots like their toys or new clothes, then discarding them when something better comes out. Just tossed into a landfill or taken apart for parts like it's nothing!"
"That does sound pretty awful…" Aqua mused but wasn't sure what else to say. Did the robots truly have emotions, feelings, or a heart? Or was Mustachio just very empathetic? EVE had a heart, yes, but that was in another world. Different worlds have different laws, after all. Wanting to change the subject a bit, the Keyblade Master went on. "Say, did you know there's an unlicensed doctor just walking about…?"
This did calm Mustachio down a bit, his mind getting off of robots. "Oh? Black Jack? Yes, most people here know of him. He's unlicensed, yes, but his skills are unmatched. People call him a fraud, but they don't know what they're talking about…"
Aqua still wasn't sure how to feel about that, but if Mustachio had faith in the cloaked man, she supposed she could think of him more favorably. The two wouldn't say much else as they went towards the stadium, and it wouldn't be too long before they arrived.
The building was large, but quiet, apparently no tournament was going on at the moment. There was, however, one person hanging near the entrance. He was a young man, maybe around Ventus' age, with black hair and blue eyes. As the duo got closer, they saw he had a sword strapped onto his back.
When Aqua and Mustachio got near the young man, he looked to them with a friendly expression. "Hey, you two here for the tournament? That was yesterday, and we're not going to have one for a while." He explained.
"As if I'd watch something so barbaric!" Mustachio huffed. "Why are you hanging about if there isn't a tournament?"
If Mustachio's attitude bothered the black haired boy, he didn't express it. "Oh, well Mr. Notaarin is letting me stay in the stadium until the next tournament." The young man explained. He noticed the confused expressions on Aqua and Mustachio and kept going. "I guess you two didn't see the news or anything, but I was fighting in the tournament yesterday. Zack Fair…ring a bell?"
Mustachio's brows raised. "Wait, I did hear about that! Prof. Ochanomizu even made some device that allowed robots to attack people." He looked Zack over, skeptical. "You were fighting robots? You don't look like much."
Zack, if anything, seemed amused by Mustachio's skepticism. "It's true, every word! I didn't win, though. Some guy came out of the blue named Terra, and he swept up first place! He really tore the competition apart…literally!"
Aqua's eyes widened at that. "Terra? He was here?" Though she supposed it wasn't too big of a surprise. This was hardly the first world she went to where it turned out her friends had gone there as well. "He fought in this tournament?" That surprised her, but maybe Terra viewed all robots as heartless shells like she originally did. It'd stop him from hesitating in scrapping them.
"Oh, you're a friend?" Zack asked, looking over to Aqua. "But yeah, he just showed up in the middle of the tournament and won the whole thing. I was a bit bummed, but it just gives me something else to strive for!"
Mustachio huffed, clearly not liking this. Apparently he decided to bite his tongue as he went on. "Look, anyway, I'm here trying to investigate the strange creatures, these Unversed, that have been popping up lately. There were some here yesterday, right?"
"That's right! Before the tournament started, there were those strange creatures. So, they're called Unversed? Well, anyway, they were robotic, but clearly not robots since they vanished into a black mist when they got destroyed. They were firing lasers all over and causing a bunch of destruction! We took care of them, though." Zack explained, giving a small thumbs-up at the end.
"We? Terra?" Aqua pressed. "I thought he showed up in the middle of the tournament?"
Zack shook his head. "No, this was someone else. His name's Ventus, and he was just with me at the time, so he helped up."
"So, Ven was here too…did he seem okay?" Aqua asked, less surprised than before to hear Ventus was in Metro City too. She was disappointed this all happened yesterday in this world. Chances were the two were long gone by this point.
"Another friend? What a small world, huh? But yeah, he seemed okay. Why do you ask…?" Zack frowned a bit. "Was there something wrong with him?"
"No…it's nothing. Never mind." Aqua couldn't exactly go into detail, so she was just happy to hear Ventus at least seemed okay.
Mustachio cleared his throat to get Zack's attention back at him. "So, these creatures. They just showed up out of nowhere, is that right? Was there a boy in a mask with them? Goes by Vanitas?"
"You know, Ven mentioned someone called Vanitas too. I never saw him, though, sorry. I actually asked around a bit after the tournament, but no one I asked knew what I meant." Zack explained with a light shrug.
"Dang…well, that's a shame." Mustachio sighed. "Is there anything about these creatures you know that you haven't told us?"
"Sorry, but I know about as much as you two do." Zack answered. "I know the police are investigating them but haven't had much luck."
Mustachio nodded, seeming a bit disappointed. "Well, I guess we're done here. There's one other place I wanted to go to today. Still want to come along, Aqua?"
"Of course. Where are we going?" Aqua asked, not sure if this was going to help or not. Still, she wanted to stay with Mustachio incase today's investigations managed to land him with some Unversed. She felt like it was her duty to protect him, at least for today, since she told him the information that she did."
"Hey, can I come along with you guys?" Zack piped up, starting to do some squats for some reason.
The elderly man narrows his eyes at Zack. "Why would you want to come? We're not going to scrap any robots, so I doubt you'd be interested."
Zack frowned a bit but kept squatting. "Hey, it's not like I hate robots or anything. I just want to get stronger. That's the reason I entered the tournament! Anyway, I just want to help. Ven was interested in this stuff, so I want to do something about it if I can."
"I think his heart is in the right place, Mustachio." Aqua added on. She felt a lot of light in Zack's heart, after all. He may fight robots, but he was clearly not a bad person.
Mustachio sighed. "Alright, I guess I can tolerate it. But after this next spot, we're parting ways!" He declared, pointing a finger at Zack.
That didn't seem to bother Zack, who beamed at Mustachio and grasped Mustachio's extended hand with both of his owns and shook it enthusiastically. "Got it! It's a deal!"
"Right! Right…" Mustachio grumbled, yanking his hand away. "To answer your question, Aqua, we're going to a residential area. I've heard some reports that a lot of these Unversed had popped up there recently. No one has been seriously injured so far, but it's worth looking into, I think!"
That seemed awful, but Aqua was at least glad no one had gotten too hurt. "And there's no known reason why?"
Mustachio shook his head as he started to lead the youngsters onward. "Not that anyone can tell. Not that anybody has been able to get any sort of grasp on what makes these Unversed tick. As far as can be told, they just pop up wherever they want. I haven't been able to figure out why…"
Aqua knew, the Unversed were drawn to negative emotions. She decided to keep her mouth shut. No need to let Mustachio know how to somehow find more Unversed and get himself into trouble. "So, we'll just ask around the area?"
"That's all we can do." Mustachio said with a sigh. "This is one tough case; I can tell you that much…"
"Oh, so you're a detective, then? Aqua called you Mustachio, but that can't be your name, can it?" Zack asked.
"It's Shunsaku Ban." The older man replied. "Just Mustachio is fine."
Zack seemed to be perplexed, but still gave a small nod. "Uh, okay. Mustachio it is."
Aqua laughed lightly before getting a bit more serious. "Say, Zack, was Terra alright when you saw him? Nothing was off, was there?"
"I mean, I don't know how he is normally, but I didn't notice anything weird." Zack replied with a light shrug. "He actually helped me out…my heart started to get a bit clouded, but he knocked a bit of sense into me."
Terra was helping someone else with darkness in their hearts? That was more than Aqua was hoping for, and she felt relief wash over her. "That's good to hear. I'm worried about him…Ven, too."
"I don't think you'll have to, Terra's an absolute beast. Only one guy I've met stronger than him, the one I'm training to become more like." The boy explained, flashing Aqua a toothy grin. "Say, since Ven and Terra are so strong, you must be pretty tough too, right? Only makes sense."
"Well, I don't know about that…" Aqua didn't like to brag, but she was able to handle herself. "I can fight when I need to."
Zack chuckled and shook his head. "You're just being humble, I can tell." He shrugged again. "I know I need to get stronger. I thought I was pretty strong, but then Terra came out of nowhere and wiped the floor with me."
"He's certainly been training a long time…he's one of the strongest people I know." Aqua replied, sometimes having wondered if Terra hadn't surpassed Master Eraqus. That is, when it came to raw strength.
The young man snapped his fingers, having apparently come up with something. "It's decided. I'll win the next tournament. If I do…how about you go on a date with me."
Aqua felt her cheeks go warm, her face surely red. The nonchalant way Zack said that just really threw her off guard! "I…what? Where did that come from…?" She felt mortified as Mustachio burst out into barks of laughter. "Mustachio!" The young woman scolded.
"He's blunt, I gotta appreciate that!" The elderly man lightly argued between chuckles.
Zack chuckled as well, but in a bit of a more good-natured way. "I thought I might as well ask. Just one date, that's all. If you don't want to, I don't mind, just thought I'd throw it out there."
Despite the sudden swerve, Aqua was at least flattered he thought she'd make a good date. As it happened, she never went on a real one before. Growing up, she had been paired with various aristocratic and noble-born peers. Like her parents, those boys didn't really care about legitimate connections or any type of romance. It was all for the sake of pairing families together to increase their status. Nothing more. Of course, Aqua's parents were just dumbfounded when she turned each one of her potential suitors down.
Zack was at least sincere, if maybe quick to jump the gun. And it was just a date, not anything more. Still, Aqua felt so awkward. "Well…I'll think about it. How about that?" She didn't want to just refuse it outright, so she went with that.
This didn't deter Zack one bit, who nodded enthusiastically. "It's a deal!"
Mustachio finally stopped his laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Just send me an invitation to the wedding, okay you two?"
Aqua felt her face heat up again, feeling mortified once more. "Mustachio, give me a break!" She scolded, sighing as Zack stifled his laughter audibly.
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, but at least Mustachio seemed less cold towards Zack, which was something. Even if it came at the price of Aqua getting embarrassed. Before long, the trio arrived at a more residential and quiet part of the city. Houses lined the streets, the homes having separating walls between them and gates in front of each home to give a bit of privacy. It was a pretty relaxing area, to say the least.
"This is where those Unversed have been popping up?" Zack asked, looking about. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and none of the residents seemed out and about. "Are you sure this is right, Mustachio?"
"Well, that's what the reports say." The detective replied, scratching the side of his head. "I guess things might just be settled down for the time being."
Aqua summoned Rainfell, glancing around the residential area. "I'd remain cautious. Unversed can just appear without warning."
Zack followed suit and got his own sword drawn. "Yeah…and if they're anything like the ones at the stadium, that'd be bad news for the people living here."
Mustachio gave a nod. "Well, the only thing we can do is ask around. I'll handle the questioning. You two remain by the gates to the houses. Don't want people freaking out because you have your weapons out."
Oh. Yeah. That would make some people pretty nervous. Aqua was so used to getting into combat at the drop of a hat that she didn't really think about it. "Good plan…" She murmured as Mustachio went up to the first door.
The process was slow, Aqua and Zack standing by the gates to each home as Mustachio questioned the residents. None of them really had anything too helpful to say, unfortunately. No one knew where the creatures came from or what they wanted. According to the residents, the Unversed appeared out of nowhere only a week or so ago, and while they haven't seriously harmed anyone yet, the people are still afraid.
"…And the police force is stretched too thin…" Mustachio bemoaned as he got through paraphrasing things for Aqua and Zack. "The major areas of Metro City have issues with the Unversed, so they stick around those areas. They just don't have the manpower to cover every area of the city."
"They're trying their best, at least, can't ask for much more than that." Zack replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a shame we didn't really get anywhere."
"Well, there's still daylight to burn, and we didn't get to every house." Mustachio pointed out. "I'm still raring to go if you two are."
Aqua was fine with sticking around a bit longer. Ventus and Terra were both gone from this world, and chances were Vanitas wasn't around either. Yet this world was the one her heart had guided her to. There had to be a reason for that. "That's fine with me, Mustachio." The young woman replied with a small smile.
"Yeah, count me in too. I'm fine going on like this!" Zack added on, as pepped as ever.
Before Mustachio could reply, several Unversed appeared down the street! There were a dozen Floods standing there, shifting in place and looking about as if searching for something. "There! There they are!" The older man shouted, pointing at the Floods.
Reacting quickly, Zack and Aqua made quick work of most of the Unversed. Zack rushed in first and slashed his blade in a wide arc, taking down half of the creatures with a single attack. The Keyblade Master leapt in and swiftly took out another five with precise attacks. She didn't want to use magic in a residential area, so had to get in close.
Unfortunately, they missed one Unversed, which started to flee! It was faster than they thought it'd be, and it quickly rounded a corner. "Quick! After it!" Zack yelled, getting the trio to chase after the Flood. They were able to turn the corner fast enough to see the Unversed dart over one of the gates and into someone's yard.
Continuing their chase, the trio opened the gate and looked into the yard the Unversed escaped into. To their surprise, they saw a lone boy standing there, with a dark mist evaporating in front of him.
The boy was surprised to see the three, and Aqua was perplexed at the way that he looked. At a glance, he seemed normal. He had average attire, wearing shorts with suspenders and a formal shirt, nothing too odd. However, he also wore what seemed like large red boots, which was odd.
What was really unusual, however, was the boy's face. Like with Pinoko earlier, it seemed overtly perfect. No blemishes or marks of any kind on his face at all. Not at all like a normal person. His hair was also a strange sight, seeming very shiny and fashioned in a spiky style. The spikes weren't odd, with Ventus having such a hairstyle, but this boy's hairspikes actually looked sharp, so pointed that they could pierce through skin!
"Zack…?" The boy exclaimed, looking at the young fighter with wide, brown eyes.
"Tobio? You live around here?" Zack replied, looking about the yard. "Did you see a strange creature around here?"
"It's not safe here, kid. You should go inside." Mustachio remarked, looking around too. No matter where he or Zack looked, the Flood was nowhere to be found, however.
Aqua looked to her black haired companion. "Wait, you know this boy, Zack?"
Nodding, Zack still kept his sword at the ready. "Terra and I met him yesterday." It seemed like he wanted to say more, but for some reason he kept his mouth shut.
"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Aqua asked, looking the boy over. He seemed perfectly fine, not a scratch on him.
"A creature was here, but it's gone now." Tobio replied. "Were you three chasing it?"
Mustachio nodded. "We were! You said it's gone? It vanished on us, huh? But why…?"
Zack looked at Tobio with a bit of disbelief in his eyes. For a reason Aqua couldn't understand, he seemed skeptical. "Have you seen a lot of those around?" He asked.
"A few times, but my father and I are okay." Tobio responded, seeming oddly chipper. "Don't worry about us!"
Before anyone could respond, the front door to the house opened and a man stepped out. He seemed quite annoyed, openly glaring at the trio that had stepped into his yard. "Hey! What are you three doing here?!" He demanded, eyes honing in on Zack. "Wait…I saw you yesterday! What are you doing at my house?!"
"Dr. Tenma, I didn't know this was your house!" Zack explained with a shake of the head. "We were following one of those creatures that have been appearing lately, and we ended up here!"
"Dr. Tenma? The Dr. Tenma?" Mustachio asked, brows raising. "I had no idea you were around here!"
The taller man looked over at Mustachio, eyes narrowing lightly. "And who are you? None of you look like the Metro City Police Department, so why are you going after those strange creatures?" As he asked this, Dr. Tenma stepped between Tobio and the group, the boy peering around his father's leg.
"Me? I'm a detective. Name's Shunsaku Ban, but just call me Mustachio." The older man replied, seeming annoyed. "I don't know what your problem is, but we didn't do anything wrong!"
That made Tenma's eyes widen, his hands curling into fists and his teeth clenching. "Get out of here! Stay away from my house and my son! Tobio, go on inside!" He ordered his son, who took a few hesitant steps back, but remained in the yard.
"What's your problem!?" Mustachio barked back. "We didn't do anything wrong! The papers were right, you turned into a quack!" He looked over to Tobio, suddenly stopping as he looked at the boy closer. Before, he had been more focused on searching for the Flood or talking to Tenma. This was the first time he got a good look at Tobio, and his face went pale. "Who…is this boy?"
"Mustachio, what's going on? What do you mean?" Aqua asked, totally lost. Apparently Dr. Tenma was a public figure…at least at one point. The way Mustachio had asked that question really put her on edge. As she studied the boy and his father, she started to notice a few things.
Tobio himself felt very…off to Aqua. Not just his appearance, as odd as that was as well. No, there was something in how he felt that made her uneasy. He had light coming from him, in fact she detected no darkness at all, but…how could that be. Tobio couldn't be a Princess of Heart, but they were the only ones that should have heats devoid of darkness. On top of that, there was something strange about how Tobio's heart felt. It was there, she could feel it, but it didn't seem…all there. It was as if it was a copy of some sort, that was the best way she could explain it.
Dr. Tenma, on the other hand, had a heart very heavy with darkness. It was the type of darkness that sprouted from grief and rage, a heart that told of a very sad past. Not to mention that the darkness was starting to build.
Before Mustachio could reply to Aqua, Tenma barked out an order at the group. "Leave! Get out of my sight! I never want to see any of you on my property again!" As he shouted this, a dark mist formed in front of the scientist, his eyes widening in shock. "What the…?"
A figure emerged from the mist, a large humanoid easily seven feet tall. It had purple skin and red eyes in the shapes of the Unversed's eyes. With metallic skin, it was clearly a robot, its features very plain, even lacking everything on its face save for its eyes. The symbol of the Unversed was on its chest, and as it appeared, the revving of a car's engine rang out. This sound made Tenma gasp out, opening the door to his house and forcing Tobio inside, following the boy and slamming the door shut.
Aqua gaped at the Unversed, realizing quickly that the emotions on Tenma's heart somehow made it spawn. Given the man's reaction, it wasn't on purpose, but the three still had to deal with it!
"I've never seen one so big!" Zack stated, getting his sword ready as he looked over to Mustachio. "You should hide, we'll handle this!"
The detective realized he was of no use, clearly, and did what Zack said. He ran to the other side of the gate and hid behind the wall, letting the younger folk do the fighting.
It was the Unversed that struck first, letting out another revving noise as it sprinted at Aqua and readied a punch. The Keyblade Master raised Rainfell and blocked the attack, her knees buckling from the impact. Still, she remained on her feet, grunting as she tried to parry the punch.
Zack came to Aqua's aid in the block of an eye, slashing right through the Unversed's arm with his blade. The bit portion of the arm fell to the ground, and from its stump, all that was seen was mist. There were no electronics that the two could see that indicated the Unversed was a true robot.
In retaliation, the Unversed spun its torso about. Its feet stayed still, but the upper half of its body spun violently, arms outstretched and hitting both Aqua and Zack, sending them to the ground. The Keyblade Master recovered quickly, staying low as she could as she sprinted at the robotic Unversed and slashed ones of its legs off. She was surprised at how easily Rainfell cut through its limb. Was it made of actual metal? Maybe she was getting fat stronger than she had thought!
Either way, the Unversed collapsed to the ground, stopping its spinning. It too was able to recover and was able to stand properly on one leg. After this, previously unseen panels where its shoulder blades would be opened up. Propelled by jets, the Unversed flew into the air, far outside Zack and Aqua's reach.
"Even my spells can't get that high…" Aqua murmured to herself, wondering what to do. She couldn't jump high enough to reach the Unversed, and magic was also off the table. "Any ideas, Zack.
"Maybe it will…come back down?" The young man offered. "I can't jump nearly that high. What do we do?"
As Zack said this, the Unversed extended its one good arm, the hand transforming until it was the end of a laser cannon! Energy started to gather, an orb of light appearing as the robot charged its attack.
"That's not good!" Mustachio yelled from his hiding place. "You two need to get away from there!"
"But…Dr. Tenma's house!" Zack argued. "It'll be destroyed if he move. Would it track our movements?"
Aqua figured she could use a Reflect spell if she had to but would have to time it perfectly. No telling how fast the attack would come. "I think I can…"
Before Aqua could finish, the door to the house opened, and Tobio's voice rang out. "No! Don't do that!"
The three turned to see Tobio jump into the air as Dr. Tenma followed, a phone in his hand. To the shock of the trio, the soles of the red boots opened up, jet propulsion firing out and lifting Tobio into the air!
"He…can fly?!" Zack remarked. "I knew he was a robot, but-" He suddenly stopped himself, wincing. "Dang it…"
"Wait, he's a robot?!" Aqua exclaimed, ignoring that Zack apparently knew this already as she looked up at Tobio flying towards the Unversed. That…explained a lot, actually. The oddly perfect face of the boy, with no blemishes or anything of the sort. Then there was the odd feeling she had when she looked into his heart. She felt something like that with EVE as well. It would also explain the lack of darkness, if Tobio was artificially made, maybe that meant his heart could be made without darkness. She was just so shocked that a robot could look so much like a human…
"Just as I thought…" Mustachio murmured, unheard by Zack or Aqua.
"Tobio! That's dangerous!" Tenma shouted, worry heavy in his voice as he looked up to his son. "Get back down here!"
Maybe the robot boy didn't hear his father, or maybe he just chose to ignore the order. Either way, Tobio flew up towards the Unversed, and when he reached it, he pulled his arm back and gave it a hard punch in the torso. To the shock of everyone watching, the Unversed disintegrated into a black mist on contact, Tobio taking it down with a single blow!
"I didn't think he was that strong…" Zack murmured, putting his sword away. "That was something else…"
As the dark mist vanished, Tobio slowly lowered himself to the ground, his feet returning to normal. He stood before his father; head hung as he looked at his feet. "I'm sorry, father. I didn't want our home to get damaged, or any of these people."
Dr. Tenma sighed, placing his free hand on Tobio's head. "It's okay, Tobio. I know you had good intentions. I was so worried!" He sighed again, looking to his three unwanted guests with a glare. "You all need to leave. The police are on their way, so either stay and be arrested, or leave and never come back."
"Hey! We didn't even do anything!" Mustachio yelled, going back into the yard again. "We were just hunting down a runaway creature! Not our fault it got into your yard!"
"They're not bad people, father." Tobio replied, frowning up at Tenma. "Please don't be mad at them."
"That's right, they're no threat at all." A male voice rang out, surprising everyone. Aqua's eyes widened, as she recognized the voice. A portal of darkness appeared, and out of it stepped Vanitas. "That Unversed was pretty weak, even he could lop off an arm with one swing. "He went on, nodding towards Zack. "No wonder a puny robot could defeat it."
Once more, Tenma got defensive, maneuvering Tobio so he was behind him. "And who are you?!" He demanded, glaring at Vanitas. "How did you just appear?! Are you with them?!"
"A lot of questions, old man." Vanitas replied, looking over to Tenma, his expression impossible to read thanks to his helmet.
"He is not with us!" Aqua called, gripping Rainfell. She was hesitant to attack, since the masked boy was standing so close to Tenma and Tobio. "Why are you here, Vanitas?!"
"That's Vanitas?" Mustachio exclaimed, brows raising. "You're in a world of trouble, young man! The police are on their way!"
That just caused Vanitas to chuckle. "Not like that matters. And I just wanted to watch how this newest Unversed fared. Turned out it was a disappointment." He pointed an accusing finger at Tenma. "It spawned from your emotions, and they were so heavy, I thought for sure it'd be a force to reckon with."
"I don't know what you mean, but I've had it! Get off of my lawn this instant!" Tenma shouted, going over to Vanitas, and grabbing him by the upper arm, clearly aiming to manhandle him.
"Don't do that! He's dangerous!" Aqua yelled, but it was too late.
Vanitas shoved his arm forward, slamming his open palm into Tenma's chest. This knocked the air out of the older man, making him let the masked boy go as he fell to the ground. "Don't touch me like that!" Vanitas growled, summoning Void Gear before turning to Aqua. "Well, a new reason to stick around just cropped up. See if you can save this pathetic old man!" Without hesitation, he swung his Keyblade down on Tenma.
"No! Don't you dare!" Aqua shouted, sprinting towards the masked boy.
Before she could arrive, Tobio got between Vanitas and his father, which didn't stop the masked boy's attack. With Void Gear coming down on him, Tobio raised his hand in its path. As the Keyblade reached the robot boy's palm, his hand wrapped around it, and…
…It stopped.
The attack was stopped dead in its tracks, causing everyone to pause. Vanitas grunted in confusion, visibly tying to take Void Gear from Tobio's grip…but he just couldn't. "What is this…strength?! How could he be this strong…?!" Vanitas said, unable to make his Keyblade budge an inch.
"You're a bad man!" Tobio scolded before effortlessly snatching Void Gear from Vanitas, an action that nearly made Aqua's jaw drop. "Or…are you?" He sounded confused as he kept a grip on the Keyblade. "I sense something strange from you…"
"You brat! You have no idea who you're dealing with!" Vanitas snarled, reaching out his hand to do something nefarious to Tobio.
"Don't you touch that child!" Mustachio yelled, moving fast for an old man as he sprinted at Vanitas. With both hands, he grabbed at the masked boy's extended arm. Kicking at one of Vanitas' ankles to throw him off balance, the detective flipped the masked boy over his shoulder and slamming him onto his back.
"Whoah! That was amazing!" Zack exclaimed, eyes widening. "I didn't know you could do that!"
Mustachio chuckled, grinning widely. "Well, I know a bit of judo…" He said, clearly bragging a bit.
Vanitas recovered from the attack in an instant, rolling away from Mustachio and getting to his feet before anyone could blink. Stretching his arm out once more, Void Gear vanished from Tobio's hand and went back into his own. "You really got lucky there…" Vanitas said, hatred in his tone.
Before the masked boy could do anything else, Aqua rushed him and attacked with Rainfell, aiming a slash across the chest. Vanitas jumped back just in time, however, and even dodged as Zack ran in for a follow-up attack, swinging his sword in a horizontal arc. "You'll have to fight me first." Aqua said, glaring daggers at the masked boy.
Vanitas paused, looking around the yard. Aqua in front of him with Zack and Mustachio to either side. Tobio was still by Tenma's side, the older man slowly getting to his feet. "Hmph. Well, I want our fight to be one-on-one. I think I'll pass this time." The masked boy replied, Void Gear vanishing. "But it'll be real soon, don't you worry." With that, a dark portal appeared behind him, Vanitas stepping through and the portal vanishing before anyone could stop him.
As the remnants of the portal disappeared, Aqua sighed and dismissed Rainfell. "Got away again…" She murmured.
"So close! I had him in my grip, too!" Mustachio exclaimed. "That must be some kind of odd technology he's using!"
Zack sighed as well, putting his sword away. Glancing over, he saw that Tobio and Tenma were ducking away inside. While this happened, the sound of sirens rang out. "We should go before the police get here! Come on!"
Without wasting any more time, the trio ran out of the yard and kept going until the sound of sirens started to fade. They were still in the residential area, panting lightly as they stopped running. "That was…a lot…" Mustachio said, bitterness in his tone. "I let the perp get away, and Dr. Tenma…that boy…!"
"Yeah, you knew he was a robot, Zack?" Aqua asked, frowning a bit. "Why didn't you say so?"
"I mean, I didn't think we'd run into him!" Zack replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Also, he asked me not to. The only reason I found out was…well, we were talking about the robot tournament yesterday…" He went on to explain how it ended up with Tobio punching him in the gut. "…I didn't realize until that moment he was a robot. He was so lifelike! I didn't know they made robots like that!"
"They don't." Mustachio spoke up, sounding a bit upset. "Tobio's a very unique case."
Aqua recalled how the detective had responded to the robot boy, even before he started to fly. "What's going on with that? You even called Dr. Tenma a quack." She tried to ignore the frustration of letting Vanitas escape again, curious about Tobio's past.
"I sort of heard things like that too, but not a lot of details." Zack piped up, sitting against a nearby wall as he looked up at the detective expectantly.
Sighing, Mustachio took off his had and rubbed his scalp. "Well…a few years ago, Dr. Tenma was the Minister Of Science, a true genius in robotic engineering. He had a son named Tobio, who sadly died in a car accident." He shook his head, putting his hat back on. "I remember, it was in the papers for weeks."
Aqua already started to see where this was going. "Then…that Tobio…he…" She trailed off.
Mustachio nodded. "That's right. After the accident, Dr. Tenma became a recluse, working on some huge project. A very expensive project. Rumors speculated that he was creating a replacement for Tobio, and it seems they were true. After this 'big project' ended, Dr. Tenma was let go of his position, and I guess he just moved out here."
"That's so awful…he missed his son that much…" Zack said, frowning heavily. "I really feel bad for him."
"I do too, despite my harsh words." Mustachio said. "He clearly loves his new Tobio very much, and he put forth a great deal of effort to make him appear as close to a human being as possible."
"I think he thought you wanted to take Tobio away." Aqua suggested. "That's why he got so angry."
The detective nodded. "Probably. I can only imagine what his loss did to him, so I can hardly blame him." Sighing again, Mustachio looked over to Aqua. "Getting off that topic, what about that Vanitas fellow? He just…vanished. What was that?"
"It's…hard to explain." Aqua said, sure that Mustachio could tell if she made up a full lie. "I don't think he's going to be anywhere near Metro City at this point, either way."
"Blast! So, he really did get away! I'm a good detective, but tracking down such an enigmatic boy outside the city…? I'm not so sure…" Mustachio frowned, leaning against the nearby wall.
Trying to keep her own spirits up, Aqua smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him. I promise you that!"
"Well, you're certainly a capable young lady, so I don't doubt it." Mustachio said with a chuckle. "Does that mean you'll be leaving?"
"I'm afraid so. I have to leave as quickly as possible." Aqua responded, knowing there was no reason to stick around this world anymore.
Zack frowned as he stood up. "Well, that's a shame! I was hoping you'd stick around, but I guess it can't be helped. You'll stop by soon, right? We gotta have our date, after all!"
Aqua found herself blushing again, especially as Mustachio laughed. "Well…only if you win the tournament. And I said I'd think about it, remember?"
The young man chuckled. "Oh, I remember. But I'll win that tournament for sure."
His laughter dying down, Mustachio nodded. "Well, it was good running into the both of you. I'll stick around here for a bit, maybe do a bit more questioning, just in case. Hopefully we can all bump into each other again sometime."
"I'd like that…" Aqua said, once more finding herself making promises she wasn't sure she could keep. As the three exchanged farewells, they went their separate ways.
The Keyblade Master pondered to herself as she looked for a secluded area to leave the world. Vanitas had gotten away again, and she felt entirely responsible! He did say he wanted to fight her alone, so she was sure he'd appear before her again at some point. That was enough to keep her spirits up.
Not long after this, Aqua came across an empty alley, prompting her to don her armor and summon her glider. As she flew up towards the sky, she thought back to Tobio. A realistic robot boy with a heart…even if it didn't feel entirely human. Was it the love of Dr. Tenma for his true son that gave Tobio his heart? Was that possible? Master Eraqus emphasized that the secrets of the heart were infinite, and no one could truly know how they worked entirely. So…there was no reason to doubt such a theory.
Still, it wasn't important in the end, and the Keyblade Master just hoped that Tobio and Dr. Tenma could have a happy life together, and that the scientist could find some sort of peace.
With determination in her heart to find Vanitas again, Aqua left the world behind and flew into The Lanes Between.
And when Kingdom Hearts is complete, it is said the one who opens its door will bring about the creation of the Next World. Such a feat is above any human. Or, to put it a different way: whoever opens that door will be reborn as something far greater than human.
Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin; without darkness, there is no light. The Keyblade wielders' great war over Kingdom Hearts was fought by defenders of the light, servants of darkness, those who sought to reconcile the two, and those motivated by nothing more than lust for power. A whole spectrum of thought was swept into the conflict, and the worlds that did not go to war found the war brought to them. In the end, the whole World was cast into darkness.
That was how the ancient Keyblade War drew to a close. To this day, no one has ever managed to open the door to Kingdom Hearts.
Some time later, the little light that remained in the hearts of the few gave rise to the World we know today: one made of many worlds behind just as many walls, so that the Keyblade War would not be repeated.
At present, the lanes and corridors that run between the worlds may only be traversed by us Keyblade wielders, and those who have given themselves over to darkness.
As the former, our duty is to cross the chasms between worlds and guard against the latter, whose darkness corrupts and contaminates, so that no world need ever be lost again.
Few Keyblade Wielders remain now; I have heard of but a handful of others outside my circle. But the World is vast, and more of our kind may be out there.
Now, in addition to the Realm of Light in which we reside, there is also a Realm of Darkness, and the Realm Between which connects the two. The Realm of Darkness is most forbidden; I am told none who set foot there have ever returned.
A/N: And that's another world entirely done. Only one more Disney replaced world left before the true endgame begins. The next world will be a lot more mainstream, which will hopefully be a good thing. I'll try to make it relatively short, my aim is to have each of the trio visit it one at a time for a single chapter each.
I'm a bit ahead of the curve, letting Vanitas get dunked on far before Kingdom Hearts III, but I couldn't resist. With someone as monstrously powerful as Astro Boy, I had to let that shine at some point against a Kingdom Hearts character that deserved it. And Mustachio got a lucky hit in for a laugh. In any case, the story will be switching over to Terra next time as he explored his last world before everything falls apart.
Any and all reviews or feedback is encouraged. Especially with this story since I'm not sure at all how I've been doing so far, sadly.