Back to the Bastion
Going on the Gummi Ship for the first time was quite a trip. Max looked at awe as he gazed up at the stars. All of them were various worlds. Worlds that for all he knew his Dad explored and gone on adventures with. Part of him felt a tad jealous knowing he missed out on some pretty epic adventures.
However the Trip to Hollow Bastion was a long one. Max spent most of his time on the Gummi Ship napping or listening to Webby drown on and on about one of her conspiracy theories regarding how Glomgold was secretly responsible for some sort of cloning technology. Apparently she had overheard Scrooge mentioning that somewhere. Peej just rested as well, the two of them wondering what Hollow Bastion was like. Though he was more interested in seeing the place his own dad had gone too all this time.
When he was awake Max would think of ways he could prove to Scrooge that he was a worthwhile guard worthy of a bigger mission. He wasn't sure what that would be at the moment but he would figure it out. Perhaps he would find some interesting information, or maybe get a lead that woul help lead him and the others to his dad...Or Sora, but mostly he was hoping to find his dad.
Either way, he was going to stand out above the crowd.
"Max….hey Max"
Max snorted as he woke up turning to see Peej'a hand on his shoulder.
"What dude?" Max muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Peej but his lip, "you don't think you will see my dad here right?"
"Your" Max took a minute to think about what he said, "Oh, no, I thought he was locked in a magical barrier along with the other villains now"
"Oh uh right" Peej ears drooped a bit.
Max knew that look, and immediately turned to face his friend looking worried, "Hey, you okay dude, I mean I know your dad did some bad stuff and all and let's face wasn't always the greatest person in the world. I'm sure he's okay behind there, I think, not like Sora um...Did him in or anything"
"Nah, it's not that mom still all mad about the whole darkness thing" Peej replied, "And Pistol...Well...Pistol honesty is just waiting for Mom to give dad what for"
"He's probably safer in a void then with your mom"
Peej laughed, "Got that right"
Max smiled but felt a bit guilty. Peej still hadn't gotten over his own dad's departure although for much darker reasons. Pete had joined up with Maleficent and her horde of villains. A commander of the Heartless that were conquering the worlds. Not a good look, and his family was probably dealing with some sort of shame. Though that never stoped people like the Queen, Scrooge or even Max from judging.
"Hey guys!" Webby jumped in front of them now, looking excited, "Can you imagine, Hollow Bastion! Oh it's so exciting to be going back, wonder how much has changed"
"Doubt little Webby" Scrooge implied as he continued to keep a eye on the controls, "Time probably hasn't moved that far"
"Time?" Max asked.
"Aye time" Scrooge replied again looking at the charts, "Time in worlds moves differently depending on which world your in, some worlds are in exact sync with one another, others, not so much, a day in ToonTown could be a year in another world, depending on the world itself. It's not an exact science sadly".
"Oh, oh, I see it, I see the world" Webby pointed out the window.
Max looked in her direction and saw the world approaching. Hollow Bastion, the last world his father was before he vanished along with Donald and Sora.
Slowly they began to approach the world getting close and closer
The Gummi Ship now hoververed over the large skim of blue rocks now, it was definitely nothing like ToonTown, a complete wasteland.
When they landed they saw the large massive castle in the middle of a blue rocked bailey. It was quite massive. They landed on a makeshift platform and there he could see a tall looking individual with long brown hair with black jacket on it. Next to him was a young woman with short black hair with a yellow scarf and green shirt.
Leon and Yuffie.
Max had only heard about them and their Anti-Heartless resistance from the stories Huey, Duey and Louie told to everyone they could get an ear out of. Leon was apparently quite the warrior of his time. He along with Ninja Yuffie, mechanic Cid and another friend of theirs named Aerith tried keeping the people of Traverse Town safe while he and a few others were trying their best to fight the Heartless. Now it seemed their primary goal was to restore their world of Hollow Bastion to something more livable after years of being under the control of the evil sorcerers Maleficent and her horde of villainous followers.
"Laddies!" Scrooge waved as they exited the ship walking up to Leon and Yuffie with excitement "Long time no see, it's been a while, or at least I think it has depending on the time difference between Toon Town and Hollow Bastion"
"Good to see you ," Leon said, taking Scrooge's hand, "Glad to see you are still doing okay"
"Yeah, feels like old time" Yuffie smiled, "Minus the Heartless or the fighting or anything that actually made life even a bit worth exciting"
"Yuffie" Leon scolded.
"What?" Yuffie muttered, folding her arms annoyed, "Just stating the obvious here"
Scrooge nodded, looking pleased to see all of them again "Indeed, glad to see you in good form, glad to know we can still see each other at all given what happened to us last time we were here"
"Yeah…" Leon sighed, Max could tell he was thinking of Sora, "Any…"
"No!" Max blurted, to the surprise of everyone, he covered his mouth in embarrassment, "Sorry"
"This is Max," Scrooge replied, pointing his cane to him, "Goofy's son, and his friend Peej...Pete's son, you know Webby of course"
"How you doing," Yuffie winked
"Hi," Max waved nervously, "So um...You guys haven't heard anything about Sora either"
Yuffie frowned, "Nope, sorry...We are pretty much stumped, the fact nothing really bad has happened since means that Sora probably won the day"
"Oh yeah, well what about that thing" Peej pointed forward.
Across the bailey stood a large rusted looking fortress, mostly made of a few jagged towards and ruins. It was surrounded by some sort of shield. A dark aura covering it. Something about that castle just made Max stutter as he looked upon it.
Leon groaned, "That castle a eyesoar, but at least it keeps Maleficent and her goons in".
"Wait goons?" Peej asked, "Is that, is that where my dad is?"
"Dad?" Yuffie asked.
"Pete" Scrooge explained, "One of Maleficent goons"
"Ah"
Leon just nodded, "When Sora apparently wished the villains defeated using a genie lamp, it sent the villains there, that castle popped up and was shielded so that no one could get in or out. Now it just sits there. A reminder that Maleficent and her evil while contained is never truly thwarted. Or the Heartless for that matter I guess"
"To bad we can't just get rid of it" Yuffie muttered, "Or that Sora for that matter just didn't take out the witch once and for all"
"It's fine for now Yuffie, I'm honestly glad the kid didn't have too...He's too young to know what that has to feel like he's to pure" Leon argued, closing his eyes a bit "We have bigger things to worry about then Maleficent thankfully"
"Yes, like rebuilding your home" Scrooge replied, "And that's why I'm here, Scrooge McDuck enterprises want to help, for a small fee of course, nothing to grant you, I do really want to help. The profit is just a nice extra bonus on my part".
"Good to see you're altruism sir" Max grumbled.
Leon rolled his eyes but smiled, "We are honored , we did get a communique earlier from one of your competitors, a Mr ...Um, Glomgold"
"Glomgold!" Scrooge seemed shock, "Oh believe me Leon, he's a two bit swindler, probably wants to help because he knows this Castle is filled with things he ought to not know about"
"Well good thing is we trust you first" Leon assured, "But if Hollow Bastion is to rebuild we might want to consider being open to other worlders, it's not like Traverse Town can do it on it's own"
"You want to make Hollow Bastion a refugee world?" Scrooge asked.
Leon nodded, "In a way, but perhaps a better place to...Start over, a fresh start, in a way Traverse Town never was meant to be".
"Noble Leon, very noble, well let's get inside it's getting chilly and that Castle over there really is giving me the heeby jeebies"
-000-
As they walked through the Castle, Max, Webby and Peej took the time to marvel at the artitecture and again it was just a taste of how things were so different from what they were used to. None of the cherriness and much more gothic and scary. Statues of gargoyles and other scary looking monstrosities. One had to wonder just what the appeal of this place was. Stranger to think that this where nice folks like Leon and Yuffie were making base for the time being. Perhaps all of that would change when they started really getting to work on this place.
Hollow Bastion castle was quite big and massive. When Webby had told Max about it earlier he expected it to be a lot more creepier and scarier. However, now it seemed quaint, a bit gothic and bombastic yet quaint. It did seem though that some progress was being made though. Leon explained how they have been trying to find and purge the castle of anything Maleficent might have left behind, be it an evil curse, or spell , or some sort of monster.
"Been sprucing up the place, Isee " Scrooge commented as they walked down the hall, "Keeping the gothic look though".
"Oh trust me that was not my idea" Yuffie muttered as they kept going down the wall
Leon nodded, "Without Maleficent, we were able to make the place….
"Nicer" Yuffie smirked.
"Good to hear"
Leon sighed, "It hasn't been easy, you get so used to fighting you get a little board you realize that all you have to do now is clean up. But I guess it means that some progress is being made'
"We adjust our roles that we are given" Scrooge said, "Believe me, I put on the hat of businessmen, adventure and family man on a daily basis".
They arrived at a large library where two more figures were. Aerith and Cid from what Max was told. Gathered around the table together, he could smell the food that was already cooked being laid down. He could feel his stomach growling as he wanted to eat.
Max looked at awe with all the books that were scattered along the place. There must have been so much knowledge here that it would have been impossible to read everything here. Whoever used to own this castle must have been quite intelligent.
"Eat up everyone" Aerith smiled, "I made it myself, would have been finished sooner if someone hadn't taken it out to heat up their Apple Pie"
"One time!" Cid muttered, "I was hungry, okay, I gotta eat"
"And I have to make sure these noodles are cooked to the proper temperature so they don't go soggy" Aerith said, keeping her calm.
"Ugh, soggy noodles, the worst" Yuffie muttered, "Granted better than raw"
"You ate them raw?" Cid asked.
Yuffie nodded, "Back when I was a kid, the streets could be tough, sometimes you have to eat the noodles raw okay" She sighed looking at her noodles again, "Hollow Bastion was once my home but that doesn't mean it was a paradise, stuck up Ansem sitting in his big castle while some of us starved.
There was a moment of awkward silence among everyone for a moment. Max could tell that there was definitely some sort of tension from the past. He didn't know what it was like to starve thankfully, though he didn't know much about what was out there outside of spoonerville or Disney Castle. Even when they weren't living in a fancy castle, his dad made sure to keep them clothed and fed. He was just that great a guy.
"So, what brings you to Hollow Bastion," Cid asked, breaking the awkwardness, "Can't be the sights, unless you like ruins, depression and bad memories"
"Cid" Aerith hissed.
"What?" Cid shrugged, "Just stating the facts here"
"Reconstruction deals' ' Scrooge replied to Cid's first question, "But also, Intel, I and the Queen believe it is time to continue our knowledge on what is going on in the outside world. Find out the aftermath of whatever happened when everything seemed to have fallen to darkness".
Max ears perked up, finally some real information at last.
"Mr. McDuck, we told you we don't know what happened with Sora after we last saw him," Yuffie reminded him, now sounding concerned, "Believe me, we wish, sometimes I think any day now it's all just gonna come and...Fall down on us again"
Max watched as Yuffie sat down on a nearby chair, the weight of what was happening definitely falling on her.
Leon sighed putting a hand on Yuffie's shoulder, "We still find it a bit hard to believe that Hollow Bastion was saved"
"Aye, I can believe that, must have been hard living in Traverse Town all those years" Scrooge sighed as he dug into his pocket, "However Sora wasn't why I wanted to talk to ya'll, see something else may be going on now"
"Something else?" Yufei asked.
Everyone watched as Scrooge pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it.
"What is that?" Leon asked.
"A letter, one I received a while back, I told the Queen just today as I tried to verify it, and while I don't know who sent it just yet, my gut instinct told me that it was time to take action on it". Scrooge opened it up and began to read.
Dear Scrooge
You do not know me, or maybe you do but I cannot reveal it yet. However, I must say, the threat is not completely gone. The Keyblade Master has succeeded, that much I can say. But darkness itself is still something that has not yet been beaten. New forces are on the move, new threats. I cannot say much for much is still to be known. Just know to keep on your guard. Hollow Bastion is still a vunrable place and much information could be used by those forces. So please...be weary, keep those people safe.
Sincerely
A friend
There was a moment of silence from everyone. Max was just trying to process what he heard. Everyone else had the same similar expression of trying to process what Scrooge had just read. For what he read was such a big reveal to everyone
"So Sora did win" Leon sighed a sense of relief as he sat down
"That's good to know," Aerith replied, "At least we don't have to worry about the Heartless coming back, at least not in full force anymore".
"Yeah, but is the kid alive, that's the real deal" Cid muttered.
Max gulped, "Y-yeah?" he took a deep breath.
"So you want to help rebuild and what, secure the world?" Leon asked sounding interesting, "I mean I know Ansem's lab and library probably has a lot of stuff in it, we haven't gone through most of it ourselves"
"Then you should probably do it soon" Scrooge replied, "Ansem probably has a lot that we don't know about, and if this letter is true people will be after it"
Yuffie grunted, "Great, who would have guessed that getting rid of Maleficent would have caused more problems then solve"
"Well, you take out one evil, another has to fill the void, it's an endless cycle, nothing we can do but fight back and keep the peace" Scrooge replied.
Aerith nodded, "We know he has some sort of supercomputer here somewhere but have yet to find it. There is a lot of this castle we have yet to renovate and return to its original form"
"Originally form?" Webby asked, "What's that?"
"Here let me show you" Aerith got up and headed over to an image of a very majestic looking castle, far different from the one they were in now, "This is what Ansem's castle used to look like before the Heartless came, quite different from the factory monstrosity we are in today"
"To be fair Aerith Ansem started changing the castle up before the Heartless came" Leon argued, "Maleficent probably just made some add ons, who knows what other strange things she's brought in, hence why we've done reconstruction slowly".
"Anyway!" Aerith continued, but not before giving Leon an annoyed expression, "we hope to return this castle and the town to its proper glory…maybe even something better if we are being honest. Even in the past this place had, um, issues"
"Like a lousy leader," Yuffie argued.
"Again! Anyway" Leon interjected, seeming not wanting to have Yuffie go onto a tirade about Ansem the Wise, " , we actually are glad you are here for a reason...See...We need allies?"
"Well I get that?"
"No, no, no...More world allies...The Gummi Ship is the only way to travel between the worlds, we need to get some old friends here…Like Phineas and Ferb for example, they and their friends could help alot with rebuilding the town"
"Aren't they a little young for rebuilding civilization?" Scrooge asked.
Leon nodded, "Yes, yes they are, but they are the best. Plus there were others in Traverse Town we could use, we haven't heard from Star and Marco in a while, but I know Mewni interdimensional scissors could be useful again".
"I have contacts with the Mewmans" Scrooge replied thinking it over, "I could probably help there, as for using the Gummi Ship, hmm...I'll see, I don't see any trouble, but bringing various worlds together, it could be dangerous".
"Yeah but…" Aeirth spoke now, "The Anti-Heartless resistance was one of the few things that brought a whole bunch of people from different worlds and places together, Traverse Town was a refugee world...We want...we want Hollow Bastion to be...A better one, a greater one, a beacon almost. Once upon a time this place was known as the city of light, maybe it could be again".
Scrooge just smiled, "Honorable, I will do what I can to help. But you have to be ready for those who would take advantage of such openness too. Take in the good of different worlds with the bad"
"We will be" Leon nodded
"Yeah," Yuffie pumpd her first.
Max tried to pay attention but he couldn't stop thinking about that letter, something was going on here and he was starting to want to find out what. Any clue that could lead him to Sora, mean that it could lead him to his dad.
Once things settled Max and the others were given rooms inside the castle. It was similar to the one he had back in Disney Castle, though a bit smaller, and without any of his stuff, plus the architecture was very gothic and black. Probably a remnant of the previous occupants of the castle.
Scrooge and the others had decided to go there separate ways and probably talk about more important issues like the King, the letter and what was going on in the world.
Max was only able to get a fraction of what was going on but from the sounds of it, things seemed more unsure then anything else. Losing a lot of their friends met that information was scant at best, non-existent at worst. This just made him even more nervous. For how could they know if they had really won if they didn't know anything that happened.
Finally he had a chance to himself and was able to sit down and think. The room itself was small, but he wasn't going to stay for that long. From the door Peej and Webby arrived, probably knowing that he was still thinking about what was going on.
"Geez my dad was in the castle for years, it's so..scary" Peej said sitting down at a nearby chair.
Webby plopped herself on the bed "I think it's cool, we should explore this place if you ask me. I mean who knows what kind of traps or monsters or dragons. Oh I bet this place had dragons, I just know this place had dragons"
"Isn't Maleficent a dragon?" Peej asked.
Webby paused then blushed, "Oh yeah"
Max just rubbed his forehead, he was still trying to process everything he heard. So first Sora had won the day, but yet he hadn't made contact with anyone, let alone his dad had made contact with anyone back in Disney Castle. Also something else was going on as well. So that meant the danger hadn't ended which meant that his dad had to go on more adventure which meant he was spending more time with Sora instead of him.
"Woah, Max, are you okay?" Peej asked.
Max had his fist clenched and he was hyperventilating, "W-What?" he caught himself, "Oh, y-yeah, I'm fine, great, just great"
"No your not" Webby interjected, "Your first are clenched and your hyperventilating, that is not someone who is okay'
Max sighed, "Okay fine, so I'm not, I'm just worried, I finally have a lead, but I don't really know anything"
Laying on the bed Max rubbed his head again, both Webby and Peej looking at him nervously. He looked back at them and smiled lightly realizing he was being a bit self centered. He was glad at least he had good friends.
"Sorry," Max chuckled, "I'm being a bit insensitive aren't I, I mean Donald is still gone too and Peej, your my best friend and your dad is trapped in that ugly looking castle a few miles away"
"Well um-" Peej bit his lip and leaned back, "About that?"
"What?"
Peej took a deep breath, "Maybe, maybe my dad could be the answer we're looking for"
"What do you mean?"
Peej took another deep breath, "I, maybe I can talk to him"
-000-
"This seems like a really bad idea Max," Webby said as she hid behind on the rocks in the bailey, "I mean this is Maleficent lair after all, she could kill us"
Max sighed, "Well, it's the best we could come up with okay...So stop pressuring me" he continued to watch as his friend Peej moved closer towards the large rotting fortress.
This plan had to work, it would show Scrooge and the others just how important Max was to the team effort and would allow him to finally play more a part in whatever was going on with the worlds. All they had to do was get Peej to get his dad Pete Sr. attention in the horrible evil castle ruled over by Maleficent and get him to spill the beans on whatever was going on with the forces of darkness. Couldn't be a simpler plan right?
Well apparently not since Peej was already having a mild panic attack as he began to descend closer and closer towards the large horrible castle. Apparently it was created by a wish, when Sora himself asked for the Villains of Hollow Bastion to never bother the people of the worlds ever again. It was both a fortress and prison all in one. After all, not only did Maleficent live here but all the villains of the worlds as well.
Peej slowly walked up to the castle, nervous and scared. The plan itself was relatively simple. Get Pete to show up, and threaten to tell his wife Peg what was going on if he didn't cooperate. Simple as that...Nothing like the threat of a wife to make the husband scared.
"Come on Peej" Max muttered, holding his breath, "Come on...You can do this man"
"Um….H-Hello" Peej said, his voice echoing across the grand castle.
Webby facepalmed, "This is a very dumb and stupid idea, this is Maleficent's lair we shouldn't be here"
"Pop! You there...It's Jr" Peej voice was shaking.
Max bit his lip hiding behind the rock waiting for something to happen, "Work darn it...Work"
Finally, a dark portal opened up near the ledge of the castle, a floating rock appeared and on it, Pete himself was there. Confused, unsure of what was going on, the lumbering lard took a few moments to understand his surroundings before noticing his son. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of him, as the floating platform zoomed a little closer.
"Son?" Pete asked in shock before looking annoyed, "What in the blazes are you doing here?"
"Um...Wanting to know some stuff" Peej said, his body shaking violently as the tensions increased.
Webby and Max facepalmed at the same time, how thick could he get.
"You know-" Pete rolled his eyes, "Why do you come to me to see, I can't tell yuh nothing, I'm working for the Mistress of all Evil here, I ain't given you anything"
Peej sighed, "Okay sir...I'll just have to tell mom then"
"Peg! Is she here!" Pete looked scared now, they had him, "Uh-hey, hey...no need to tell those who need knowing"
Max snickered, he knew how much Pete was afraid of his wife. might have been a nice woman to many, but she was as fiery as she was fierce, and she wouldn't take anything from her husband. Thankfully for him she wasn't here but so long as he didn't know that then this could easily work to their advantage.
"Come on Peej just like we plan," Max hands were shaking, "Ask about Sora"
"Do yuh….Do yuh know what happened to Sora"
Pete looked taken aback, "Um…..No!"
"WHAT!" Max jumped from the rock, shocked and upset as he marched towards them now, "Oh come on, how could you not know your Maleficent goon, you should hear about this stuff"
Webby signed catching up to then, "Nice blowing or cover Max"
"Max?" Pete glared at the Goof for a second trying to put two and two together, "Well, well if it ain't the young goof himself! Ha! Ha! So...You taking on the route of your old man"
"Yeah, I am!" Max said looking proud, "And we want answers, we know you know what happened about Sora, or you gotta know"
Pete just laughed, "Well, even if I did know I won't tell yuh, but I honestly don't know...I just do what Maleficent tells me, I don't understand"
"No truer words have spoken"
A new dark portal emerged as another platform came with it. Max felt a chill run down her spine as he saw her. Maleficent, Mistress of Evil, dressed in her black robes and dragon like horns. She was both regal as she was malevolent. Holding a power stuff in hand, her magic would not be able to effect him or the others, yet she still managed to give off a power and aura about her that lived up to her title.
"What have we here" Maleficent smirked, "Loyalist of the King and the Keybearer, who seem to know nothing"
Max swallowed hard, "Uh, y-yeah….We want to know...what happened to Sora"
"That I cannot answer" Maleficent replied seeming unconcerned, "For as Pete said, we do not know. However all I can say, is that the forces of darkness do not end with me. There are others out there who wield great power. Search for the mighty heart, for it was someone who told me those stories as well. Surely others would know...Like the greater darkness"
"Greater darkness?" Max asked, looking nervous now.
"Xehanort, the Heartless, do you think I was not made aware of this from what few spies I still am I able to conger" Maleficent said, chuckling hautly at her own superiority, "Though I admit, the whereabouts of your father, and more importantly the Keyblade Master, is something even I do not know. Though I do know, if my way is successful, they will soon be destroyed and his mind broken"
Max shuddered feeling power in her words. "M-Mind broken"
"What are you talking about, lady!" Webby yelled.
Maleficent chuckled, "Perhaps if it happens I'll show you, but then again, maybe now, it is amazing how little you honestly all know, despite being at the very heart where this great dark sea began"
"Great dark sea?" Max rubbed his forehead, "Seriously why can't you talk normal lady"
"You are in Ansem the Wise's castle correct?" Maleficent said pointing to that Castle, "It is filled with information beyond which I used to control the Heartless, his reports being the most prominent, perhaps those would have the answers you'll seek...Other forces of darkness, during my tenure, tried to steal that knowledge from me...Do not think I hold a monopoly over such powers".
"Yeah well, what do you want us to tell you" Webby declared, showing defiance.
Maleficent smirked, "Funny enough your response and look was all the answer I needed. Despite my defeat your victory seems hollow, still the forces of darkness are not crushed, merely weakened, simmering in the shadows as they do to grow strong. It might take time, years, decades, maybe even tomorrow, but we will rise ...The darkness always does, so long as there is light"
Max clenched his first anger rising in him.
"Yeah well…" He tried to find words but his anger was getting the best of him right now "My dad will stop it"
"Your father" Maleficent chuckled, "Not the Keyblade Master, didn't he promise to protect hm"
Max took a step back and how did she know that? She couldn't possibly know that right. Was there a spy around him when they made that communication.
"Yes," Maleficent smirked, "I know of that promise, but I can also sense it in your heart, a growing anger towards the boy. Believe me, I know it too well...He has not returned the father he has stolen and returned him to the son. A pity...For a thought someone like Sora would honor that…"
"ENOUGH"!"
Max turned to see Leon, Scrooge and the others arrive, his heart sank. He was definitely going to be in trouble when all of this over. They all had very mad expressions, and that did not bled well. Peej got behind Max in fear as Webby bit her beak nervously.
Maleficent though just smirked, "Ah, Leon, rugged as always, and his pathetic little gain of resistance fighters"
"We aren't that anymore" Yuffie yelled, "We got back to our home, and were going to make it better"
"Ah, I see, the power of governing now befalls you, and all the burden that will come with it. How sad, be happy though that me and my Heartless remain safe behind this barrier, or my vengeance would have been swift and painful as your humiliation of me"
Leon scowled, "You'll be there till you turn to dust"
"FOOLS!" Maleficent roared a bit of her power showing off, Leon and the others stepped back, a twinge of fear in their eyes. Even behind the magical barriers did the evil witch still have the stamina and strength to remind others that she truly was mistress of evil. With a sigh, she calmed and spoke softly yet again, "The point remains, you have defeated me for now yes, but so long as I'm still alive, I can still be a threat. Your Keyblade wielding hero did not have the strength nor the courage to do what needed to be done and that in lies his ultimate failure. He left you, and everyone else must deal with the fallout. For darkness is not the monopoly of one person, even me. You'll have other enemies coming for you soon enough"
With a laugh Maleficent vanished leaving Pete just standing there unsure what to do.
"Uh, well uh ...By son" Pete ran off.
Max just stood there in silence, "We uh...Oh boy...I'm sorry"
"Oh you better be" Scrooge said wagging his cane in his face, "What you did was dangerous at best, stupid at worst….Or would it be dangerous at worst stupid at best….Regardless, what were you thinking"
"I mean I was looking through the castle and since it used to belong to Maleficent and Peej is Pete's son I thought we'd have a spy"
"Yeah, Spy stuff" Webby replied.
Scrooge slapped his beak, "That's not how you spy," He took a deep breath, "Look Max, I know you want to find your father, we do too...But this is not the way, especially letting Maleficent know what's going on in the world, believe me...It's not worth it"
Max frowned.
"Come on lass," Scrooge said, "We'll be staying here for a few more days anyway, maybe you can help...Supervised!"
"Yes sir"
Max looked back at the Castle and continued to head out. Maybe he'd look around for those reports, he'd at least try that. Still, he wasn't even closer to finding his dad, not by a long shot.
-000-
Max laid down on the bed in the room in Ansems Castle.
He felt humiliated.
How could he think Maleficent of all people would have any good information on where his father was or Sora or anything for that matter. Anger festered as Max's mind just felt frustrated causing him to just pace back in forth in his room. He breathed heavily and tried to calm himself, being upset wouldn't get him anywhere. His dad wouldn't want him to be mad anyway, or even at Sora, still, bitterness.
Scrooge of course gave him a firm talking too. Thankfully he couldn't just go back home, even if wanted him too. They were going to be here for a few more days to get the details on how to help Leon and the others rebuild.
Still, he thought about what Maleficent said. Other forces of darkness, it means that even if Sora had beaten Xehanort there were other things out there. Worse things maybe. Things that were after his dad. He wondered if his dad was fighting those forces of darkness right now. Anxiety was already building up inside just thinking about it.
Despite not wanting to run into anyone Max opened the door and began to walk down the hall. Only to immediately run into Yuffie before he could walk even a few feet away.
"Ah, Yuffie" Max jumped back in shock, "Oh uh, h-hi, I am just you know...Walking...Getting the old legs moving, that sorta thing"
Yuffie just shook her head and smirked, "Blowing off steam, yeah, I've been there, believe me...It feel good. I mean yeah, being mad isn't but, blowing off steam by walking is good"
"Yeah-" Max chuckled nervously, "I guess, sorry for earlier, I guess it was foolish but I really, really just wanted to know...You now"
Yuffie nodded, "Yeah, I know how you feel. I know, I know cliche adult stuff but it's true. I know what it's like to feel frustrated all the time"
Max raised an eyebrow just wanting to hear.
"See, back in Traverse Town, I always got so frustrated because we weren't doing anything to stop the Heartless. Maleficent was spreading that darkness all over, and I was mad at Ansem for pretty much giving up my home all those years ago. Thankfully I had Leon and Cid and Aerith and everyone else, but still I felt like I wasn't even doing anything. Even when Sora showed up I still felt like I wasn't doing anything meaningful-"
Max flinched a bit at the mention of Sora, however did find it sorta funny how he wasn't the only one who felt frustrated even when he was doing something.
"But all in all ...It worked out, I mean sure we had to do the hard work so I can't say get lazy, but it did work out in the end.''
"So, what are you saying?" Max asked.
Yuffie shrugged, "I don't know, just...Just have a little faith I guess"
"Faith! That not much to work with" Max said sounding more annoyed now, "Faith in what, some kid who didn't know anything about how a Keyblade works, I mean I don't know anything about it either, but if someone gave me that power, I know one thing, no one would trust me with it. So why should I have faith in Sora huh! Only person I have faith in is my dad, and I don't even know where he is!"
Yuffie sighed, "I know...Guess your right on that front, I didn't have much faith either but like I said in the end, it worked out. We did the hard work sure, but it still worked out".
"Well sometimes things don't always work out" Max grumbled.
"Yeah," Yuffie shrugged, "But, what's the point of being cynical?"
With those parting words Yuffie just walked off leaving Max alone to just stand there, letting the words repeat themselves in his head for a bit.
Something, ha, if it were something then his father would have been home by now just like Sora had promised. He wished he could have some sort of faith. Only faith he had really was just in himself to try and find a way to get his dad back home. He needed to find a way to stand out, but how.
Best to just keep pressing forward.
Max was allowed to walk around the Castle, so he decided the library would probably be at least the safest place to go. Webby of course had been going through a bunch of books over and over again. Trying to learn as much as she could about really anything. Of course so much studying was not in his forte, though he did wish
"Hey Max, feeling any better" Webby asked as she went through another book.
Max just sat down and sighed laying his head on the table.
"That bad huh"
He just nodded
"Well cheer up, I've got a whole lot of research done," Webby said as she took out her bag a bunch of junk piling on the table, "Mostly about Hollow Bastion history mind you, though Ansem the Wise sure did keep a lot of records, mostly about the heart. Who would have thought something so magical would look so complicated".
"Uh huh-" Max just grumbled, "Still can't believe it though, we come so close and yet so far"
Webby shrugged, "I mean heck you've seen are worlds there are all sorts of bad guys"
"Yeah, but we can handle them, these are the forces of darkness, they almost destroyed everything we love...and my dad"
"Then like your dad we just keep moving forward"
Max gave a slight chuckle, "Yeah, dad would say that wouldn't he"
He looked down at the table to see all the books and junk that was piled onto the table. From what little he could see, there were several charts, graphs, and other weird things that he just didn't understand. With a sigh, he really started to wonder if he was just over his head. He wasn't his father, not some brave knight. Granted even his dad probably wouldn't understand half of this science stuff anyway, but that didn't make him less for it.
Still, Yuffie's advice to have faith, it just seemed to sting. Faith in what? A kid who couldn't even keep a promise to protect his father. Even his father was alive, the fact he wasn't here was enough for Max to know not to have faith in Sora. Beside's why should the fate of the entire universe be placed on the shoulders of one person period let alone one kid who was around his own age.
That sort of reliance not only felt wrong it also just felt dangerous.
Webby signed, "Max I know your worried about your dad and you wanna prove yourself and all that but don't get so wrapped up in it that your head goes wacko"
"I know, I know!-" Max said sounding frustrated, "Already broke up with Roxanne because of it...That and other reasons"
"Other reasons?"
Max shrugged, "I kinda...I don't know...Slowly lost the attraction for her...Now don't get me wrong, she's so nice and sweet and all...But I don't know...The uh...attraction...was gone by the end anyway"
"Okay," Webby looked confused but shrugged it off, "Well still, don't get to wrapped up in it you should-"
"Hey what's that" Max quickly eyed something and picked it up, it was a tiny little star thing, 'I've seen this before...A picture, the King had it"
"Oh yeah, that's a Star Shard, I found it Scrooges garage"
Max examined it closely, it was shiny and pretty looking.
Webby kept going, "Apparently it was an old device the King used back in the day to travel between the worlds"
"Does it work," Max asked, sounding intrigued.
"Nope"
Max just frowned, "Oh"
"But I thought it would be cool to have, I mean come on, looks cool"
"Yeah I-" Max stopped as he heard something coming from upstairs, he quickly got up and went to find out what was going on. He asked Webby to stay were he was incase it was dangerous. Part of him wanted to get Scrooge, but perhaps he could do this on his own.
Slowly he climbed up the stairs, voices started getting a bit louder now. He was close to the assailants and wanted to know what was going on.
"Anything?" One said.
"No"
"Keep looking"
"I am don't yell at me"
"Just be happy the witch isn't here, her dominance of this place prevented us from entering the castle for nearly a decade ...The superior was not pleased from what I can remember"
"We need the research so we can-wait-hold on-I think I found it...Yes! Found it!"
Max saw them, individuals in hooded coats, sneaking around the library, trying to steal something. He needed to do something, but what. Looking around, he tried to find something that could distract them. Maybe a sword, or a shield. However the only piece of armor was far away, so he had to improvise.
"Hey!" Max shouted, throwing a book at one of the coated peoples head.
"Ouch!" one of them yelled, "Insolent brat! Wait maybe this book is the one...Nope"
Max now was up against the three of them.
"Max!" Webby ran towards him, with a grappling hook at the ready, "You don't think you were going it alone"
"I can take them Webby"
"Please don't go all loner on me"
"Whatever"
Max tried to charge but was pushed back by a magical force against one of the bookshelves.
Webby dodged the others attacking, her pace was quick and agile.
"We've been compromised" The lead person said, "No matter, we have other means"
As the dark portal opened the assailants tried to make their escape, and in his fury Max chased through going after them.
"Max!" Webby shouted.
But it was too late, through the portal he went.