Chapter X: A Brighter Future

Arriving back at the lido deck, Ushio ran over to the same trash chute as before. Given the situation, she knew she'd have to sneak back up into the bridge. She recalled the AI wheel that was currently preventing their goal. Getting a hold and crouching in, she began to go make her way up. As she grew closer, she thought she could hear noises of struggle.

Reaching the top, Ushio threw open the chute as she crawled out. Glancing across the room, she spotted the captain wrestling with Auto as he called out an announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We're having a slightly malfunction with the autopilot. Please remain calm."

Seeing him struggle, Ushio call up her weapon as she charged the wheel. Hitting it, Auto dropped the captain as he turned his attention towards her.

"It appears we have an intruder."

"I don't care what your reasoning is, you don't deprive people of their dreams and you certainly don't hurt me and my friends." Ushio remarked. "C'mon Captain, let's stop this crazy machine."

Using everything he had at his command, Auto turned to face the girl and large man. Auto started to move over to stop the process of retrieving the plant, but Ushio whacked him a few times with her Keyblade. Deploying one of his defenses, Ushio fell back as an electrical shock worked through her system. However, the captain took the opportunity to grab onto the wheel as he attempted to hold him back.

"Enough." Auto stated. He swung himself around, throwing the captain off him while the ship began to turn.

Ushio tried getting to her feet, only to find the ground tilting away from her target. Attempting the best she could to maintain her footing, she leap forward and dealt a few more blows to Auto. However, the turning reached a tipping point for Ushio as she found herself sliding away.

With her also out of the way, Auto pressed the button to recall the holo-detector. The device began to go down until a notice sounded out. Pulling up a holoscreen, WALL-E appeared to be holding it up.

"No." Auto stated.

Ushio saw the screen as her companion struggled to keep it up. Getting a slight shot of determination to add to her ambitions, Ushio attempted to right herself. Glancing to the side, it seemed to be having the same effect on the captain as gasped in shock. With the device slamming down and starting to crush WALL-E, the two started getting up.

Ushio was the first to do so. Dashing forward, she charged once more at the AI. Once again, her Keyblade slashed at the machine as he sustained some damage. Behind her, the captain rose to his feet, starting his walk towards the wheel. As he grew closer, Ushio continued her assault.

"Enough." Auto once again tased the brunette.

As Ushio fell in front of him, she smiled as she looked behind him.

"Heh, looks like I distracted you long enough." she smirked.

"Auto?" came the voice of the captain.

With both Ushio's remark and the captain's, Auto turned to face the man. The captain grabbed onto the wheel as he attempted to tase him too. As they struggled, he noticed something. During Ushio's attack on Auto, she'd thrown open an interface that allowed someone to change Auto's setting. Knowing what to do, he mentally thanked the girl.

"Auto, you are relieved of duty." Reaching up, he switched Auto off.

"No." Auto let out as he powered down.

With Auto defeated, he took control of the ship as he returned it to its proper positioning.

"Hey, thanks for all your help, uh…"

"Ushio. The name's Ushio." she said, getting to her feet. "Ah, that really stung."

Walking over to the windows, she rested herself against the console. Looking down, Ushio spotted as the massive crowd of people were recovering. Something seemed to be passed around as it arrived were EVE was. Soon afterwards, a large circular panel came up as a squarish robot came out. Ushio could only look on from up high, as she knew that it was WALL-E.

"WALL-E." she muttered.

Saying her remark, Ushio found herself being rocked as she fell down to the ground. The whole of her body shock as the ship jumped. Before she knew it, The Axiom had entered the Earth's atmosphere as it landed on the planet. Docking into place, Ushio got to her feet. The captain beside her, she descended as she joined the thrall of people leaving the ship.

"So, this is their home world." she uttered. Just a second latter, she felt the air blow as EVE flew past her carrying WALL-E. Joining a group of other robots, she ran off to follow her robot buddies.

Running for a while, she looked up as a loud sound blasted out. Looking into the nearby distance, she saw smoke rise up. Continuing on in that direction, the girl and robots came upon WALL-E and EVE holding hands, looking into each other's eyes.

"You're all better." Ushio said, as happiness welled up inside her. "I'm happy to you two."

Glancing at them, she found herself and the other others being ushered away by M-O. Taking a hint that this was a private moment for the pair, she walked off smiling.

—

As WALL-E and EVE held hands and smiled, from nearby, Genex watched them. Seeing genuine emotions and love from them, he mused his thoughts out loud.

"To think that even these man-made machine can experience such emotions. Truly, the Heart is a mysterious thing. But yet, this is what I've been looking for. And still, what defines the Heart? Why is it that we both share such a thing? I suppose my search must continue."

Turning to leave, he spotted Ushio leaving the scene.

"And you, young lass, you're also intriguing. I have little doubt that we will meet again in your journeys."

With those remarks, he disappeared into the swirling purple vortex.

•[The Axiom]•