Chapter 2: See You in Shibuya
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or any of their properties, characters, or logos. This story is made solely for fun.
Since Xehanort's defeat, the Mysterious Tower had remained in orbit around his apprentice's homeworld. It was easily reachable by a familiar train system recently installed in Disney Town, just a short skip from the king's castle. In spite of Sora's disappearance, Riku continued to frequent the wizard's lair while resting between trips, and the other Keyblade Wielders scattered throughout the worlds would occasionally contact them with information. Days were more peaceful without the Seekers of Darkness, but his young charges were active as ever.
The older man prepared to return to his desk when the crystal ball on the table across from his began glowing, the swirling mists within contorting to reveal the face of his former apprentice. Mickey's deeply serious expression caught the wizard's notice.
"What do you require of me, Master Mouse?"
"There are some things I need to talk to you about immediately, but I don't wanna say too much in case someone's listening." the king's tone became slightly hushed.
"You may speak..." Yen Sid sat down, gently stroking his beard with an aged hand.
He swallowed nervously. "While searching for Sora, the boys and I have seen many different worlds, and everywhere we go, it feels like the darkness is escalating."
"Do not forget that the Darkness, is in many ways, a sapient force of destruction. It will fester in the shadows when dormant, but so long as negative emotions exist, it cannot be completely wiped from existence."
Mickey's expression became unusually grim for the cheerful mouse. "To be more precise, I believe that the darkness gathered by Master Xehanort was not completely extinguished when Kingdom Hearts was closed."
"Such an outcome is not beyond the realm of possibility." The old wizard spoke pensively, silently considering the new developments. "A massive conflict between light and darkness is certain to have repercussions."
"Ansem the Wise once told me that anything was possible."
"A man of his intelligence would know what it means to expect the unexpected. Of course, the cause of this new darkness may not be directly linked to the events of the Keyblade War."
Knowing so little about the recent developments, the king agreed. "In either case, this is very bad news for all of us. Things should've quieted down some, but the Heartless are just as numerous."
"You well know that they can be controlled by those with strong wills and wicked hearts. When bereft of a master, the creatures will naturally gravitate towards another source of great darkness to feed upon, after which they may be enslaved once more to the will of another."
"Journeys have been rough for us with so many of those monsters causing trouble. If things are this bad out here, I can only imagine how Aqua and the others are doing; searching in the Realm of Darkness."
"It is clearly strengthening pre-existing evils. It not only empowers the wicked, but also weakens the light." The old master's expression remained impassive, but the arching of the wizard's eyebrow was enough to show that he was concerned.
"Exactly right!" the king nodded sternly. "Many people have begun suffering as a result. Scoundrels living in different places are being strengthened by the darkness, and it's drawing more and more Heartless to those unfortunate worlds."
Yen Sid's eyes widened ever so slightly at the thought, but his expression quickly became inscrutable once more. " Your words of anguish exist as undeniable proof that knowing something will occur and seeing it for oneself are two entirely different things."
"It's something I've known all too well since the day I first embarked on my journey with the Keyblade." he replied, lowering his head gravely.
"I know you would not speak urgently had you nothing of particular importance to report." the elderly man interjected suddenly, quickly earning his apprentice's attention. "If there is something else on your mind that you wish to discuss, now is your chance to do so."
"Two things, in fact!" Mickey concurred. "I've noticed an unusual amount of Heartless congregating in a place called Gaia. It's a far off world I recently stumbled upon during my search for clues about Sora."
"Did you investigate more thoroughly to find the cause of this outbreak?"
"A gigantic fleet of Gummi Heartless were guarding the airspace surrounding this world. We were unable to draw close without putting the ship in danger. It would seem whoever's behind this doesn't want visitors."
His former mentor remained calm. "Have you been able to discover anything else."
"From what little I've heard about this particular world, it's mostly populated by humans. Not so different from Radiant Garden, but much more densely inhabited."
"Your discovery is most intriguing, but I see no immediate reason to endanger yourself when we lack any pertinent information concerning this world's current status."
"The Gummi Ship's censors went haywire as we flew past. This new world is a huge place, and the number of Heartless we detected numbered somewhere in the hundred-thousands. I haven't seen numbers like that since we were almost wiped out by the Organization's Demon Tide."
The wizard shifted in his seat. "Then it is best that we keep an eye on this situation for the time being." he leaned forward slightly, his frown deepening. "There is no use antagonizing an enemy we know nothing about. You made the correct decision."
"For now, yeah. I do think we'll still have to address this, eventually. The darkness doesn't just settle in one place. Left unchecked, it'll always spread."
"Indeed." Yen Sid eyed his old student as if x-raying him, calmly pressing his fingertips together in thought. "You claimed to have another piece of news... Tell me."
Mickey shrunk back. "The truth is, I'm not certain how to start... There's something... ... Something much more dangerous afoot... And, it's completely my fault!"
It was not like his apprentice to be so dour, and yet he could sense gloom exuding from the mouse's demeanor. "What do you mean?"
Mickey looked suddenly ashamed, his fists clenching in a rare sign of self loathing. "The Tome of Oblivion recently disappeared from the hidden vault in Disney Castle."
The wizard arched an eyebrow, looking deeply concerned. Though his expression remained unchanged, the crystal ball's limited view hid his trembling hands from his student. He inhaled deeply before regaining his composure.
"The secrets contained within are not meant to be read by outsiders." the wizard spoke, his deep tones threatening an outrage that he hid well. "You know as well as I do... The secrets that your predecessor hid within the lines of that book. It was your responsibility to guard it!"
"I know... That's why... ... I was afraid to tell you about this." the mouse hesitated again, his eyes closing in the deepest shame. "It was hidden in my personal study behind a magic door the likes of which no ordinary person could have opened. Very few knew of its existence, and none who do would ever speak of it."
"Perhaps someone who did, may have... ... ... No... That's not it... ..." Yen Sid immediately discarded the notion.
The king's eyes widened. "Forgive me master, but should we really be so quick to dismiss any possibility, no matter how unlikely.
To his surprise, the elderly man wore a peaceful expression. "You and the others: Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy; possess a strong bond of true friendship. Between you five, not a single drop of malice exists."
"They really are great friends." the king smiled nostalgically, calmed by his teacher's sincere words.
"Indeed, and you have proven yourselves to be true heroes countless times. Not a single one among you would have willingly spoken of the forbidden book. let alone allowed it to fall into the hands of a thief."
"What you say is true, but it still doesn't answer the question. How's it possible someone could've found it?"
"Throughout this wide expanse of existence, there exist more questions than answers. No matter how much we learn there will always be more we do not understand."
"So, you really don't know?"
The shadow of doubt crept onto his face, though the loss of the wizard's perpetually confident gaze lingered for only a moment. "Only a fool would profess to know everything. The power at work may very well be beyond even my knowledge."
Mickey's somber demeanor returned. "Still, if we don't have any leads, what can we do?"
He remained silent for several moments as he considered the situation, calmly stroking his beard. "This was not something I believed would ever come to pass, but for the time being, we can only hope that the one who now has the book will be unable to decipher the hidden messages within."
The king's determination returned, "They won't have the time, if we can find them first! I promise to get that book back before then!
"The more important question now is why anyone would desire such information. Some of it was passed down to you through word of mouth. No doubt you understand the dangers."
"Even Master Xehanort wouldn't have sought such a thing. There's a ton of guys who would love to use the darkness, but acting on the history contained inside that book could possibly..."
"Enough!" Yen Sid raised a hand to silence him, knowing it was possible that someone could be listening. "It would be more prudent to discuss the matter in person. Keep this matter quiet until you return."
"We'll be back there in a jiffy." The king took a deep breath. Even though he had long graduated from the old man's tutelage, he still couldn't help but feel intimidated by the elder master. "What about Riku and the others? Do you intend on calling them, too."
"I will declare an emergency meeting to inform the necessary parties, and then when all have arrived, we will formulate a plan of action."
"Of course!" Mickey replied obediently, fading from the crystal ball as the conversation ended.
The wise mage stood up from his seat, returning to his desk with an unusually weary expression. "I fear the worst possible turn of events may yet come to fruition." he murmured quietly, images from the past dancing through his aged mind.
In that moment, the spry wizard felt much older than he had in many long years.
Shibuya - Dogenzaka
On the back streets of Shibuya, an unlikely duo found themselves sitting on a bench outside of a local restaurant. Ramen Don was a Chinese Bar owned locally by Ken Doji, whose signature noodle dishes were popular around the neighborhood. As he was running a little low on cash, Neku purchased some Insta-Noodles for lunch, sharing one portion with his unexpected acquaintance.
He had spent the last hour or so listening to tales of his new partner's past adventures. "So, that's your story?" The antisocial teenager finished his meal with a quiet slurp.
"Yeah..." Sora held his own cup with two hands, his gaze falling between his legs.
"A war between light and darkness, a crazy fairy trying to rule the universe, magic swords shaped like keys, and an old coot raising Hell with twelve versions of himself..." the other boy took a moment to sort the information in his head. "I'd say it was all bullshit if my story was any more believable."
"Not to mention, our adventures even brought us to the same place one time."
"Traverse Town, yeah. Joshua told me we were stuck in some kind of dream world. At least now I know why you were there, too."
The brunette swallowed another mouthful of ramen. "Speaking of which, whatever happened to the others?"
"They're gone. Erased by the Reapers." he replied bluntly. "In the end, they were no different than the dozens of other players stuck in this messed up game."
"I'm sorry." Sora looked away, noticing the distant look in his partner's eyes.
"Don't be. You had nothing to do with it." he casually tossed an empty food container over his shoulder. "Rhyme was erased, Shiki disappeared, Beat joined the creeps, and Joshua got blown up by some math-obsessed freak."
"WAIT! Joshua got blown up... And ... ... Beat actually joined the Reapers!?"
"Yeah, things have been rough for us. Can't blame Beat for what he did, though. It was the only way he could continue existing in the UG without a partner. Haven't seen much of him, since."
It was Sora's turn to ponder his partner's situation. After integrating these new developments with what he already knew, the young hero's expression dropped. "I really don't know what to say. There has to be something we can do to help."
Neku stood up, sliding his signature headphones snugly over his ears. "We win! That's all we can do."
"Yeah." he clenched a fist confidently. "I know what it's like to be in a tough situation, but that doesn't mean we can't make it through!"
"No doubt. I bet what you told me barely scratched the surface."
"Tell me about it. We'd probably spend all afternoon sitting on this bench if you forced me to explain every detail." he slumped his shoulders awkwardly. "There's been times when I didn't understand half of it, myself. I can only imagine what you're thinking."
"Not much." Neku replied with a frown, earning a confounded look from his partner. "I don't care to dwell on the past. Bottom line: We've both stared directly into the pits of Hell. Though, it sounds like you've been doing it a lot longer."
"It's wasn't always quite as bad as it sounds." the brunette waved his hands dismissively. "It's true I've been through some pretty scary stuff, but it hasn't been all bad. I've made tons of friends while traveling around, and I never could've gotten through my adventures without their help."
"Friendship, huh? There was a time when I would've dismissed it all as a bunch of crap."
Sora flinched at his blatant lack of reverence. "You can't be serious."
"More than you know. In life, I despised walking these busy streets for the longest time. It was only after death that I finally started to understand what you're talking about."
The Keyblade Wielder looked pityingly at his companion. "You used to be alone?"
"Yeah... I was... ... ..." Neku's gaze drifted into the roving crowds, his memories of recent times a bittersweet mix.
"Who needs friends! They just laugh and talk like idiots, and pretend to agree with you... So you end up caring about them... exposing yourself... getting HURT... Screw it! We're better off without them! You want people getting in your way? Dragging you down? I don't. And I never said we were friends. You did!"
He had said that to Shiki shortly after they met. Together they had survived an attack by some Noise, and yet he felt no connection. At the time, he saw her as nothing more than a nuisance, and openly scorned at her attempts to make him open up. Several days into the Reaper's Game, that feeling began to change. They began relying on each other more and more, not just for survival, but also emotional support. Then one day he finally called her by name, and in that one moment, everything changed.
Was he still the same person he was back then? This question had been on his mind quite a bit lately. Being made to rely on someone else. Learning how it felt to care about others. She'd taught him all of that, and became the first person he ever considered a friend.
"But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose. Give up on yourself, and you give up on the world."
Joshua's parting words continued to play in his mind. He remembered the boy's snarky-ass comments and proclamations of intellectual superiority with a bitter taste. The mysterious youth had an annoying artsy approach to philosophy and a tendency to correct others. And yet from his words came a glimmer of wisdom, irritating as it was for him to admit. There were times when he felt like Joshua understood his situation too well.
"Are you okay?" Sora's voice shattered his reverie by waving a hand in his face.
Neku swatted it away like an annoying fly. "I'm fine..."
"If you wanna talk about it, I'm right here. I mean, what else are friends for?"
"I said I'm fine!" Neku shouted a little to loudly, feeling slightly ashamed by his partner's downtrodden expression.
He was still not great at dealing with people, especially someone as absent-mindedly optimistic as Sora. They had met and worked together in the past, but Neku wasn't so quick to call someone a friend. It was clear from past experience, this opinion was not necessarily shared by the people around him. Joshua had been a strange misfit, but the others were fast to establish bonds when they were first thrown into the Reaper's Game. Even so, with each week spent trapped in this nightmarish limbo, he had begun to feel more.
Empathy sucked, and he had Shiki to thank for teaching him how to feel it. "Sorry." he turned away, crossing his arms. "It's just... I've been through a lot lately."
"I remember you said something odd earlier."
"Both our stories were crazy as fuck. That doesn't narrow it down, much."
"You mentioned Joshua protected you. Rhyme was erased, and Beat turned against you." he lowered a finger to mark off each of Neku's companions, leaving one raised. "What exactly happened to Shiki?"
It was if the kid just read his mind. In some ways, he felt like what happened to her had been his fault. After completing the first round of the Reaper's Game, he was forced by the Conductor to continue, and the entry fee taken from him as payment had been his first true friend. The Reapers usually claimed whatever was most important to a person as a toll, and it was only later on that he discovered the painful truth.
"So, do you not know?" he pressed the boy.
"Just drop it." Neku replied through grit teeth, his hands shaking slightly.
Sora noticed his demeanor and didn't push any further. "Sorry..."
"No, I get why you'd be curious." the orange-haired teen moved his fingers to stop the quivering sensation. "A bleeding heart like you probably considered her a friend after a single meeting."
The Keyblade Wielder pointed both thumbs at himself. "Bleeding heart and proud of it!"
"She's easy to like." Neku turned his head. While this was normally his way of handling an annoying person, he did so to conceal a slight blush. He was slightly embarrassed to admit that she was the most important thing to him. If Beat or Joshua knew, they never would've let him hear the end of it.
Sora suddenly clapped a hand on his shoulder in a show of camaraderie. "What do ya say we get to work."
"Probably should, considering these F'ed-up circumstances."
"I recall you said these Reaper's Game missions had a time limit, right? We've been sitting around here for a while, don't ya think?"
"Don't panic, yet. The first day's mission is usually pretty simple. This time all we gotta do is return to the 104 Building, and it's complete."
"Okay... How long do we have?"
Neku checked the time before coughing violently. "Crap, looks like less than ten minutes! See for yourself." He held up his hand, revealing glowing numbers ticking backwards like an alarm clock.
The spiky-haired boy removed his glove, now realizing the source of the burning sensation he felt less than an hour ago. "Looks like we wasted more time than I thought. How do we get back to the store?"
"It's only one street away from here. Let's bounce!"
They broke into a run, with Neku leading the way through the crowds. While they couldn't directly interact with the living people in Shibuya, it was still difficult to see a clear path with so many folks wandering the streets. With the exception of that excursion to Traverse Town, rounds of the Reaper's Game always took place in broad daylight when the world was awake and humming with activity.
From shadows on the ground, the Noise emerged to deter them, these particular specimens appearing as flying black-hued jellyfish. a half-dozen descended around Sora, who was quickly ensnared by their slimy tentacles. He attempted to break free from their grip, only to receive a nasty burning sensation from the places they touched.
"Crud, that hurts!" beads of sweat formed across his forehead, his eyes widening in shock as the creatures duplicated themselves.
"Hold up, Sora!" Neku shot a giant beam of energy from his hand, disintegrating several of the Noise.
"Thanks... But, I've got this." Sora forced a smile, focusing his magic. "Now, Freeze!"
The two creatures holding him were soon encased in ice, their gelatinous bodies shattering as they hit the concrete sidewalks. The remaining four closed in to recapture their prey, only to be repelled by a strike from his newly-summoned Keyblade. The attacked caused several more to scatter away, though the strange swimming motion and awkward floating made them slow and predictable.
"Not so tough when I can use my hands. Let's try this again!"
A low growling sound rang out, followed by appearance of two gigantic bear-like Noise. Standing over seven feet tall with foot long claws, the gray-furred abominations landed directly in front of their targets and roared before flailing their arms wildly, one jumping several feet into the air and slashing it claws in an attempt to cleave its prey. The remaining jellyfish creatures moved into a perimeter behind the boys, cutting off an escape path.
Sora found himself back-to-back with his partner. "Looks like they brought out some reinforcements."
"These guys too much for ya? I've seen Noise about ten times bigger and managed to come out of those scraps alive."
"Likewise... The things I've seen make these guys look like teddy bears."
The Keyblade Wielder held up his weapon to parry a large swiping attack from one of the bears, spinning around in mid-air and smashing into the streets below, the shockwave sending both mammalian monsters hurtling away. Igniting his Keyblade with a magic glow, Sora closed the distance between them and finished both with a single slash.
"Try this on for size!" Neku's body ignited with a mysterious light as he sprinted headfirst into a flock of cnidarian enemies, erasing them all with a single hit.
"Nice one!" More remained, but the beasts seemed hesitant to come closer. Sora raised his Keyblade into the air, causing lightning bolts to rain down upon the remaining Noise, leaving nothing by a shower of sparks.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, the orange-haired teen looked over to his partner, who gave him a smile. He frowned, though it was partially hidden by the high collar of his shirt. "Don't get cocky yet... That surprise beatdown left us with even less time."
They continued on towards the large building visible ahead, both boys arrived with a screeching halt as they reached the 104. His optimistic partner came close to stumbling over his own two feet, catching himself mid-fall to prevent a nasty face-plant.
"Made it on time without a minute to spare!"
Sora felt a familiar sting in the palm of his head, noticing with a quick glance that the timer from before was gone. "So, does this mean we're all done for today?"
"Usually..." the antisocial teen observed his surroundings carefully, half expecting more Noise to emerge and attack. When none appeared, he sighed.
"Glad we made it on time. So now that we've got a second... you mind telling me how you learned all those moves?"
Neku's expression betrayed both surprise and confusion. "As a player, I thought you would've already known about the system."
"Known about what system?"
The glum teenager reached into the pocket of his baggy white shorts, pulling out a pin with a picture of a fireball on it. "Players can use certain attacks by picking out what pins they want to wear into battle."
"The invisible weirdo who brought me here only gave me that one pin. He never said anything about other pins."
His partner pocketed his swag. "You did mention that before. Guess that means you're not an ordinary player."
"You mean most players weren't summoned here like me?"
"Hell if I know. Everyone else I've seen so far comes from Shibuya."
"Guess I'm a rare exception, huh?"
"I should've known, considering you're not even from this world." he already looked weary of the subject. "I suppose you wouldn't need offensive pins, since you already have some crazy powers of your own. Of course, that means you're not bound by the same limitations as everyone else."
"I guess that makes me a cheat." Sora grinned widely, causing his partner to roll his eyes.
"Tell me about it... If Beat had powers like yours, he wouldn't have joined those bastards in the first place."
He quickly decided to change the subject. "So, now that the mission's done, what do we do?"
Neku shrugged it off. "Dunno... Usually when the Reapers are done screwing around, the players lose consciousness until the next day of the game."
The young hero's mouth opened. "Oh yeah, something like that happened after that disembodied voice dropped me in this world. How's it work?"
"Hell if I know. I guess it has something to do with the Composer."
"Who's that?"
"The guy who runs this nightmare... From what Joshua told me, the Composer makes the rules for this crapshoot, and the Reapers have to do what he says."
"Joshua helped us understand a lot of what happened in Traverse Town. I don't think any of us would be here without his help." Sora's expression softened considerably. "So, what was his deal? Do you know?"
"He wanted to find the Composer and take over. To think he gave all that up to save a guy who was only in it for himself." Seeing the questioning look on the brunette's face, he steered the conversation away yet again. He wasn't looking to be pitied. "Today's mission was lame. What do you think?"
"I guess it's fine. So long as we continue to succeed."
Normally the Keyblade Wielder was prone to misreading people, but one look at his partner's expression told him not to pursue the previous topic. He took the hint, especially after the last proverbial land mine he stepped on. Though he was unaware of the exact circumstances, it was best to leave things alone for now.
Neku flicked the side of his headphones. "I guess the Game Master's taking it easy on us for now."
"GUESS AGAIN, PUNKS!" a boisterous tone screamed.
Sora stood in front of Neku and braced himself, his Keyblade grinding against the wheels of a skateboard. Its rider smirked confidently before flipping around in midair, his sneakers touching down on the nearby sidewalk. It took them only a second to recognize the rider. Now bearing the wings of the Reapers, Daisukenojo Bito faced the two players with a confident smile.
"Well, looks like Ironface was right. Didn't think I'd see Phones partnered with Key-man."
Neku regarded him coolly. "What're you doing here, Beat? We completed today's mission. Back off!"
"A Reaper don't take no orders from a player, yo!" he mounted his skateboard and kicked off against the street, but found himself unable to move.
"Stopga!" Sora blasted him with a time spell, freezing the target in place. "Best move out of the way. That won't hold him for long."
His partner blinked in surprise before moving away. True to the warning, Beat quickly broke free from the enchantment before cracking his shoulder into place. "Man, and I thought Megs was the only one who could do that." his lower lip twisted into a scowl. "No fair, man! You both goin' down for this!"
"Who's Megs?"
"Nunya business, fool!"
Without further warning, the loudmouthed Reaper seemingly took flight, his feet never leaving his skateboard. He floated overhead while dive-bombing them from the air, occassionally twirling around to launch another series of ramming motions on the street before returning the air. His assault was fast and merciless, with both players barely moving out of the way in time to avoid being hammered into the streets. Not only was Beat quick, his attacks struck with the force of a speeding car, leaving gashes in the concrete.
"We don't wanna fight you." the Keyblade Wielder grit his teeth as Beat shot past, coming inches from ploughing into him.
"Too bad, son! Cause the brass told me ta put ya'll six feet under!"
It was difficult trying to fight while not hurting an opponent, especially when the attacker was so serious. He had fought mostly monsters such as Heartless, and occassionally villainous rogues who needed to be put in their place, but it was rare for his opponent to be someone whose heart didn't overflow with darkness. As a result, he held back. The brunette hero was adept at fighting close-range, but his weapon was naturally diverse, allowing him to adapt quickly to varied conditions.
Meanwhile, Neku repeatedly teleported around using quick-fire pins, discharging energy bullets that not only struck the target, but scattered randomly upon impact, increasing the range of damage and making his moves unpredictable. He knew from past experience that Beat was a tough fighter, having fought him before during a previous game week. The street-talking punk could take the punishment without being erased. There was no need to hold back.
"Can't we talk about this?" Sora tried to reason with him.
"Man, you like a broken record or somethin'! Real men speak wit' actions, not words!" the skateboarding teen charged again.
"Wind!" Sora cast a wind spell to change his attackers trajectory without causing any injury
"Ya'll think a lil breeze like that'd be 'nough to take me down!?"
"Don't act big until you've won!" Neku created a wall of fire, forcing Beat to clumsily change direction and costing him speed. "Quick! Use that spell from before."
Sora pointed the end of his weapon at Beat. "Aaaaaaannnnd... Stopga!"
"Dang!" he cried, once again frozen mid-movement.
The orange-haired boy bombarded his former friend with several electric blasts before piercing him in the legs with a sword of light materialized from his hand. Sora winced as he noticed the look of pain on their adversary's face, his own spell expiring a moment later, and dropping the ensnared Reaper. Neku's eyes remained hidden by his hair as his partner ran past, catching the larger boy with some difficulty. It took a moment to steady himself, but Sora managed to carry him a short distance before laying him carefully on the nearest sidewalk.
His eyes narrowed at his indifferent partner. "I thought he was your friend?" he received no answer from the statuesque teen. "You didn't have to go that far."
Neku raised his head, revealing the same cold expression he usually wore. "He attacked us, first."
"Yeah, I guess." Sora glanced down at the prone man. "Still, you might've gotten carried away."
Beat spit up a mouthful of blood, catching their attention, but oddly enough he smiled. "Naw, don't sweat the small stuff... Phones made the right decision." he placed a hand to his mouth and coughed again. "Mind helpin' me up?"
The moody teenager helped his partner return the defeated Reaper to a standing position, his eyes revealed a sense of regret. "Sorry..." he apologized.
"It's all cool..." He reluctantly accepted the shoulder to lean on before hoisting himself up with his now broken skateboard.
"Don't try anything stupid..."
"You callin' me stupid, yo!?"
"Never mind that!" Sora glanced between the two with a confused look. "Wait, so you guys are suddenly okay with everything that happened!?"
"Yeah, I guess so. How 'bout you, phones?"
"Not entirely! Now that you've lost, I want some answers." Neku faced their battered opponent, his expression deadly serious. "I know you've been with the Reapers since Rhyme was erased, but why've you been so dead set on taking me out? Spill it!"
His former friend looked away ashamedly, but this did nothing to deter the conversation. "Guess I owe you that much." he paused, trying to think of a way to explain. "Ya see... Mr. H. saved Rhyme from disappearin' by turnin' her into a Noise."
"Wait! What happened!?" Sora prodded his partner, only to be ignored.
"That doesn't answer my question." his gaze hardened.
"Right... Sorry... ... Truth is, I did somethin' real stupid, and joined the Reapers. I was hopin' they could help us, but the brass took her from me. The deal was I finish you off, and they don't erase Rhyme, permanently."
"Jerks." the Keyblade Wielder snarled. "This game can't be fair."
"It ain't! But now that I lost, it don't matter no more. They's gonna erase her!"
Neku's frown deepened. "Sounds like they hold all the cards. If Shiki were here, she wouldn't want us to quit, no matter what the odds." he inclined his head in thought. He hadn't gotten this far by giving up. "Where are they keeping her now?"
"Ironface has her."
"Who!?" Sora questioned, his attention turning to an unsettling presence seconds later.
"That would be me." drawled a cool feminine tone.
A beautiful blonde woman appeared before them, her voluptuous figure and gothic one-piece dress giving her a dignified, yet attractive appearance. She bowed mockingly. "Greetings... I am this week's Game Master, Mitsuki Konishi."
"So this is the infamous Iron Maiden." Neku took a fighting stance.
Sora instinctively summoned his weapon. "She's the Reaper behind this!?"
"I ain't got time for you, Ironface!" Beat shouted, his injured form and damaged wings making her smirk in response.
"So primitive, immediately resorting to violence, and then losing to the enemy." the woman straightened her glasses, completely indifferent to the trio of angry teenagers glaring daggers into her. "I knew you would screw this up, Daisukenojo Bito."
"Shut the fuck up! No one call's me that and gets away with it!"
"I will do whatever I wish, and a Neanderthal like you is in no position to ever demand otherwise."
"What do you want?" the Keyblade Wielder took a step towards her.
"You players needn't be concerned. This has nothing to do with you." she faced the skateboarder with cold indifference. "As for you... I'm afraid you've failed one too many times. Therefore, the Conductor has revoked your status as a Reaper."
"You can't fire me, 'cause I quit, yo!" Beat retorted.
Konishi placed a hand against her cheek and smiled in amusement. "Oh, don't act like a child."
Her nonchalant attitude enraged him even more. "You think I'm actin'!?"
"No, I can see it comes quite naturally to you."
"Heh heh. Damn right!" he replied with a satisfactory grin.
Neku sighed in bewilderment as he watched the exchange, looking almost embarrassed for him. "Uh dude... She's making fun of you."
"WHAT!"
Sora would've found the argument downright amusing if it weren't for the fact that they were in mortal danger, and the villain responsible was standing right in front of them. "You're not much of a lady, are you?"
The Game Master's eyes settled on the brunette. "And you're not much of a gentleman."
"We never asked for your approval." Neku clenched a pin in his fist.
"Why would I care enough to put a designer label on swine. Since I can't reverse evolution and speak your language, I'll keep this brief." she then addressed her former subordinate. "When you joined, we explained that a Reaper's points determine his or her lifespan."
"Yeah, so? Big deal, yo!"
"During your time as a Reaper, you earned zero points... Not a very hard worker, I see."
Beat scowled in her face. "You was gonna make me sick Noise on the Players! That ain't what I signed up for!"
"Then I can't fathom why you did. One person's success is built on another's sacrifice. And besides... If I'm not mistaken, you're only motive for becoming a Reaper is this!" Konishi held out her hand, causing a small furry animal to appear in her grip. "One little Noise? Talk about petty."
"Shut up! What do you know!?" he rounded on her.
Her dark painted fingernails lengthened into razor sharp claws and she began squeezing the tiny creature, causing it to cry out in pain. "Since your employment has come to an end, I don't see why we need this thing, anymore."
"Rhyme! Leave her alone!" the injured skateboarder lashed out angrily.
Konishi tightened her hold like a vice, snapping the creature's neck and causing it to disintegrate into nothingness.
It took Sora less than a second to figure out what was going on. He raised his Keyblade to strike the Game Master, his jaw dropping open in horror as a beam of light shot past his peripheral vision, penetrating Beat's chest like a knife.
"Damn it!" he fell again, landing with a thud on the cold streets.
"Beat!" Sora ran to his side, turning his body to inspect the wound. Raising a hand, he attempted to cast a healing spell, but the gaping hole continued to bleed out.
"Don't bother... The process has already begun." she gestured to the boy's feet.
Looking down, the two partners saw Beat's lower body was beginning to vanish like Rhyme's Noise form had done only seconds before. "No, this can't be!" Sora exclaimed pleadingly.
"Looks like I'm done for..." Beat replied through labored breaths.
"You can't just go and disappear! Not yet... ... Not like this!"
He raised his right thumb and smiled. "Guess I'll leave this to you guys. Give her Hell for me!" His body vanished a few moments later, leaving his friends standing silently.
Neku's eyes darkened as he looked away from the spot on the sidewalk, his gaze settling on the blonde woman. "Damned bitch..."
"Oh, what an interesting expression."
The gloomy teen wordlessly raised both arms, Sora immediately noticing the bright glow that had begun to envelope his partner's hands. A second later, Neku build up a bright charge between his fingers and did a thrusting motion, causing a colossal beam of energy to erupt from the core. His target retained that same cocky expression as the attack passed harmlessly through her body.
"How'd you do that?" he shouted. When she remained silent, he scowled and began rapidly firing smaller lightning bolts in her direction. "Answer me!"
A smile graced her red lips. "Perhaps I was never there to begin with." her voice came from all directions as the illusionary doppelganger vanished, the real Game Master reappearing in the opposite direction.
Sora leapt into the air and brought his Keyblade down, the woman catching it with a clawed finger. "Such tempers..."
"If the purpose of this game is to defeat the Game Master, let's fight now!"
"Must you be so impatient..." She parried several of his slash attacks with one hand before reappearing behind him. "Since you seem so keen on acting like children, perhaps I should treat you like children."
"Quit screwing around!" Neku clenched his fists, quietly seething.
And why would I do that? This is a game, after all." she emphasized with a relish. Their outrage only excited her. "Now, don't look at me like that. If you refuse to let me finish, I can leave without giving you a clue."
"What clue?" Neku pocketed a pin, refusing to lower his guard.
"That's a good boy." she replied mockingly. "Here are my terms: At this point, I am going to move to a certain place. I will stay in that place for the next six days, and all you need to do is find me."
Sora's expression hardened. "So it's like hide-and-seek?"
"Correct. We call this Reaper Sport 2: Hide and Seek. Naturally, I picked something at your age level."
The Keyblade Wielder remembered a certain member of the Organization who loved turning battles into games. "She's playing with us..." he spoke so only his partner could hear.
"No shit." he grunted, both teens glaring daggers at the Game Master.
"Starting tomorrow morning, you have six days to search the streets of Shibuya for my whereabouts. Until then, I wish you luck." She smirked, her body melting into the ground like a shadow. Her disembodied voice called out jeeringly one more time. "Remember... The clock is ticking!"
"Wait!" Sora reached out towards the place she had stood, but his senses were swiftly overcome by darkness once more.
Enchanted Dominion - Forbidden Mountains
In the gloomy corridors of Maleficent's crumbling fortress, the evil fairy's laughter could be heard once more.
"Hidden by Yen Sid's magic was the information necessary to access the forgotten world that his foolishness created so long ago, and also the immeasurable power that lies slumbering within."
Pete quivered. "I ain't too sure this is a good idea, but I guess we don't got much of a choice now, do we?" he spoke with a note of hesitation, looking conflicted once more.
The evil fairy disregarded him without further council, conjuring her scepter with a casual wave of her hand. "The time has come for us to venture further into the darkness than anyone has before, even that decrepit old fool!"
She placed her hand over the surface of her staff, the energies within the orb swirling maliciously as the spell activated. Maleficent spoke a series of complex incantations the likes of which were completely lost on her assistant, the darkness emanating from the core of the crystal forming a dark aura around the pair that sent a shiver down the overstuffed cat's spine.
The feeling of dread was similar to the sensation he felt when they entered the Realm of Darkness, like a well of dark magic that seemed bottomless. He shivered violently as his superior held her arms in the air, the shadows lifting to form a strange doorway.
Unlike the Corridors of Darkness that evildoers often used to travel between worlds, the magical doorway had taken the shape of a large wooden door, not so different in appearance from the portal that had led them into Timeless River not long ago. However this threshold held a much darker ambience, as pitch-dark energy seemed to seep through the cracks in the door, and a cold, empty feeling coursed through them just by being in its presence.
While Pete remained frozen in fear, his superior looked positively elated by her success. "Our time has come..." she placed a hand on the doorknob, causing a light to shine forth.
Pete shielded his eyes before glancing over at his superior in concern. "What the heck is that!?"
"No doubt the remains of an old spell cast by that accursed wizard to keep anyone from accessing this world." The dark sorceress was pushed back for a moment, but her grip on the handle only tightened and a dark smile came to her lips. "However, the magic has weakened with time... I shall not be denied!"
With a strong movement of her arm, she thrust open the entry, and stepped through the doorway without hesitation, closely followed by her reluctant helper. On the other side the portal she stepped forward gracefully with Pete tumbling clumsily behind. The humanoid cat stumbled to his feet, spitting out a mouth of dirt as he scrambled forward to catch up.
"Where are we?" his mouth slid open in awe.
The pair of villains were situated on a cliff overlooking the land they had entered, the sight both frightening yet hauntingly beautiful at the same time. His eyes bulged fearfully as they stared over the abyss.
The expanse of land stretching out before them was eerie and wreathed in shadow, a ghostly green glow covering the landscape as far as the eye could see. The skies were dark and starless, the only source of light being a tiny crescent moon that provided only a minimal amount of light. There were no clouds or grass, and the barren forests seen in the distance were dead and mangled as though some evil force had siphoned life from nature itself.
"I don't know 'bout you, but dis place is givin' me the creeps." Pete cowered behind his master, her slender frame doing little to hide his bulk.
Maleficent tugged her robes from of his hands with a note of distaste before letting out a cackle of glee, her eyes widening in vindictive happiness. "Be silent! Do you not sense the power that lies dormant here?"
Her partner lumbered forward so that he was standing beside her. "I sorta felt somethin' like that. You don't suppose it's comin' from dere?" he pointed towards a gigantic structure in the distance.
"The source of this magnificent power lies yonder." she deduced, using her staff as a walking stick as she began traversing the treacherous terrain. Her subordinate almost tripped as he fell into step behind her, but she remained unconcerned. "Hurry you fool! That which we desire must now be claimed."
A weathered stone road marked the twisted and inhospitable terrain, leading up to an ominous castle in the distance. Even from atop the hillside they could see the structure's iron gates. The structure of the stone building resembled a mixture of the Castle of Dreams and Disney Castle itself, but the dark onyx color of the walls and strange glow coming from the tower windows gave it a most unsettling aura. The building was strangely warped, like someone had taken a clay model of the building and twisted it.
Neither of them spoke, the eerie quiet and shifting shadows caused Pete even more discomfort. Most worlds they encountered were inhabited by some manner of life, sentient or not, yet this world was deathly quiet like the inside of the Corridors of Darkness. The closer they drew to the castle, the heavier the air seemed to become, and the darker the skies grew.
As they reached the front gates of the castle, he could no longer take the silence. "Are you sure dis is a good idea?" he asked, trying to conceal an unnerved shiver.
"Miserable coward... Remain here if you wish, but there will be no place for you when our time comes." she dismissed him with a wave.
"Oh, all right!"
When he did not back down, she seemed somewhat satisfied. "Very good, it appears you have some sense of priority after all."
Maleficent thrust open the gates and entered the courtyard, ignoring the hideous statues that lined the path leading to the doors. Pete jumped in surprise as he came face-to-face with a statue of a ferocious monster, angrily shattering the stone in annoyance with his fist. He shook his hand and sucked his thumb with a few mumbled curses before noticing that his boss had already entered the building.
Running through the doors, he found it was surprisingly normal inside, the blood red carpet and stone floors resembling the inside of Villain's Vale. More statues filled the rooms, but they ignored the monstrous figures and continued onwards.
They proceeded quietly as she followed the dark presence, almost as if someone was guiding them to the source of this world's evil. The rooms were surprisingly empty for such a large dwelling, yet it was strange to see that no one was living here. Abundant cobwebs and crumbling stone walls were proof that the castle had seen better days, but the duo found an interesting sight as they ascended the deteriorated grand staircase. A purple carpet spanned the majority of the hall, leading to a large pair of double doors on the far end.
The room beyond was a cathedral-sized throne room not so different from the one in Disney Castle, save for the dark ambience and stained glass windows lining the grand hall. The picturesque glass shined with the eerie glow from the moon and remained as brilliant as ever even amidst the dark surroundings. Passing between the columns, Maleficent approached the large throne at the end of the room, pleasantly noting the motif of human skulls carved into the chair's wooden exterior.
"Talk about your fixer-upper." Pete casually ran a sausage-like finger against a nearby statue, noting the thick layer of dust.
"We have arrived!" she announced, extending her arms in a grandiose manner.
Before them, behind the throne was a gigantic black door seemingly built of stone, several indents on the surface indicating that something was missing.
"It would appear that the ultimate power lies beyond here!"
"You jus' leave the grunt work to me, sister!" Pete boasted, rearing back and punching the stone a few times, only to howl in pain. "Owwww hoo hoooo!"
"Incompetent buffoon... Did you honestly think it would be that simple!?"
"Looks like I'll jus' have ta knock harder!" He surrounded his hands with barriers and tried a second time, but not even a dent was present. "They certainly don't make doors like dis back home."
"Cease that pointless flailing." she whacked his leg with her scepter, causing him to jump in pain.
"Crazy dragon lady. Ya don't need to be so rough!"
His cries were ignored as Maleficent swept past, gingerly placing a hand on the surface of the stone door. "It is said that a great evil was defeated ages ago, and doomed to remain imprisoned here for eternity. This must be the final door spoken of within the pages of that book."
"The last thing you and me need is more evil competition." he kicked the door, groaning in pain. "Whatever's stuck here can rot for all I care."
The sorceress recoiled her hand in surprise as the ground began to rattle, both villains glancing around in surprise. The shadows around them began gravitating towards the center of the room as if drawn by an unseen force. The darkness swirled for a moment before forming a gigantic, vaguely humanoid shape, appearing like a hooded wraith.
Once its the form had solidified, the creature blinked, as if waking up for the first time in years. It's large green eyes narrowed in surprise at the sight of visitors, a shapeless glowing green maw they assumed was its mouth opening as a deep, throaty laugh escaped its gullet.
"Yikes, get me oughta here!" Pete fell flat against the opposite wall of the room, as if trying to vanish, but his superior remained undaunted.
Maleficent stepped forward with a look of amusement, clearly enthralled by the shapeless creature floating in the air before them. "Would I be correct to assume that you are the being who was exiled from Disney Castle so long ago."
"How vexing that a stranger would know me... No doubt that wizard would have erased my existence from the pages of history." An incredibly deep, hoarse tone emanated from the living void.
She held forth the Tome of Oblivion. "No doubt yours is a history kept hidden from the light, and yet, a single record of it remained."
"So it has..." the being replied. "Even so, to see visitors in my world!? This is certainly unexpected."
"Are you not the being that was sealed here in ages long past?" the evil fairy questioned again, her countenance unyielding and calm in the face of the shapeless horror
The phantom floated through the air and stretched its formless self into a thin shape, the glowing eyes flashing dangerously as its dark mist-like body coiled around her like a serpent. "What if I am... It makes no difference to you. Why would anyone come willingly into my midst? Have you no fear for your own safety, witch?"
Pete stepped forward to help, crunching his fists together. "Now hold on dere, ya oversized shroud. I recommend you get offa her, or things might get real ugly!"
"What do we have here... A denizen of Disney Castle?" The entity let out a snicker that sounded more like coughing, it's smoky form slowly leaving its previous victim and inching towards him. The cat man backed away looked horrified, its shining eyes only inches from his face. "Yessssss... I sense your fear... ... Let it grow... ... Let it consume your heart... ... ..."
"Back off!" Pete squealed, his beady eyes widening in horror.
"Stop your cowering, you imbecile!" Maleficent scolded her henchman, casually passing a hand through the shadowy form before addressing the monster itself. "Spare us your theatrics! This pathetic form you have taken to communicate with us is merely a front."
"How do you know!?" the creature shrieked, attempting to frighten her.
"Your real self still remains trapped behind Yen Sid's door. You have no real power as you are."
The creature's wispy incarnation drifted so that it was floating above the throne. "Impressive deduction, Fairy of Darkness... It is as you say." the phantom shifted into the form of a giant face closely resembling it's true self, a pair of horns protruding from the top of its head. "Why do you stand before me?"
"I have come to beseech you, nothing more." Maleficent began with a devious smirk, her words doing little to satisfy the entity. "The power you wielded in ages past once overwhelmed Disney Castle and threatened to send all worlds into the darkness... ... ... That is what I seek."
"Then you have wasted your time..." To her surprise, the phantom snickered one more. "Ashamed as I am to admit it... My power was sealed, and the keys to the door lost forevermore."
The dark sorceress dismissed his words with a gesture of her hand before gently using it to grasp her scepter. "That is what they said, but such information was fabricated to prevent anyone from seeking the means to release you."
"You speak lies..." the specter hissed, the bitter venom of his voice sending a chill down Pete's spine.
"Do not be so close-minded. How do you think I was able to come to this world?" She raised her arms, as if gesturing towards the entire land, her words silencing the spirit's hissing. "Surely you realize from the... Lack of visitors... That this entire world was sealed off by Yen Sid to prevent access by outsiders. No one was ever to set foot here since time immemorial, and yet here I am!"
The room fell silent once more, the eerie quiet making the monster realize just how long it had been since he heard any voice but his own. "Perhaps you speak the truth..." the hidden figure began with a note of renewed interest. "Still... What do you plan to do? Would you endeavor to release me from this accursed seal, or have you only come to mock my powerless state?"
"You have remained trapped here for so long, that I shudder to imagine the effects." Maleficent relaxed her shoulders, a cunning smile tugging at her dark lips. "My offer is simple... I shall search for the keys to your freedom, and in return, you are to give me power to rule all worlds!"
"Interesting to think that you would be so unconcerned for the well-being of others. With my power restored, this miserable plane of existence will be ravaged by darkness for eternity. Is this truly what you desire, witch?"
The evil fairy let out a dark, mirthless laugh that even surprised the phantom. "In darkness there is no pain... No feeling... No petty emotions that cause dissonance and conflict. What more could one desire?"
"... You are... ... A strange one..." the hoarse voice replied.
"Simply agree to share with me in this most glorious of futures, and the freedom thou dost crave shall be forever yours!"
Silence fell once again, but the sound of the dark entity's deep laughter soon filled the halls. While Pete was noticeably uncomfortable, his superior seemed to relish in it. After what felt like several minutes, the echoing notes slowly subsided, ending with a dark snicker.
"You amuse me, woman... If all you desire is to rule what remains in the wake of my terror, than free me, and you shall have it!"
"Very good... It appears we have an understanding, then? I shall grant your freedom, and in exchange you will grant me that which I desire most."
"Yessssss... ... ..." The apparition faded away until only the eyes remained, the glowing green orbs giving off a frightening ambience. "I should know the name of the one I make a pact with. What is your name?"
She stood up a little straighter, raising her scepter high in the air. " I am the mistress of all evil, she who has brought ruin upon countless worlds... My name is Maleficent!"
"Deal!" the creature replied without hesitation, his eyes blinking once before vanishing into the darkness from whence they came. "Soon, all of existence will know true terror forevermore!"
The room gave way to that bottomless silence that pervaded the world which they stood. Maleficent was satisfied with the pact, having confidence in the brings powers to fulfill her desires. She had learned much of the creature in the pages of the book they had been gifted, and believed his power to be potentially greater than anything she had ever witnessed before.
The evil fairy cared nothing for what he would do once their deal was complete, since covering all worlds in darkness would only further her own ambitions. After failing to locate the Book of Prophecies, they had been left with few options. Now thanks to an anonymous benefactor, things were going far better for her than they had in quite some time. The Heroes of Light would not have the last laugh this time.
Pete peeked out from behind one the dark throne room's many pillars. "So, what do ya suppose we do now? Far as I know, we got no idea where to find dem keys you was talkin' about?"
"Finding them will be a challenge, but I do not believe it will be impossible. Such things are often forged of a powerful magic, and those most sensitive to such energies such as myself should be able to locate them with minimal difficulty."
"You're soundin' pretty confident there, lady!" the overweight toon placed his hands on his hips with a confounded look, before leaning towards her obnoxiously. "What if we don't got what it takes to find em? I don't think Shadow-freak is gonna be happy."
"And what concern is that of mine? He is powerless while trapped behind the seal."
The lumbering henchman scratched his head. "Y'know, I guess yer right..." he let out an obnoxious booming laugh at the thought. "What can he do if we don't come through?"
"Precisely, my dear Pete. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain." Maleficent dismissed his worries with a smug gesture. She considered him for a moment, an intriguing plan coming to mind. "Speaking of which, I believe it is prudent that we call forth our full resources for this endeavor. It is time we benefit from these new alliances we forged these past months."
"I ain't sure they'll come here jus' because we say so, but maybe these new developments'll give 'em some incentive to join up!"
Maleficent turned back to face him, using her hand to tear open a dark doorway. "You will deliver word to the others, but remain hidden while traveling, less his majesty or those meddlesome children discover our plans."
"Don't see why I can't jus' give em the ole one-two?"
"We cannot afford your ineptitude causing a rupture in our plans. Not this time!" she added the last part with a distasteful sneer. As he lumbered towards the vortex mumbling complaints under his breath, Maleficent extended a hand to stop him. "Be certain to check on our friends on Gaia as well. Valuable as they have been to our cause, I do not entirely trust that scheming brat!"
The humanoid cat saluted with a wave before leaping back into the darkness, leaving his master alone in the empty room. She smirked for a moment using her staff to conjure several thorned plants around the perimeter of the castle. This time, her plans would not fail.
Note to Readers: Here's chapter 2. Took me some time to polish this one, though it was kind of rushed in some places, I decided to leave things as they were. I care more about the Disney aspects of this story at the moment, so we won't be looking in on Sora so often while the stage is being set for the main story.
I didn't get too much support for the first installment, but decided to continue working on it for now to see what people think as the story starts to develop. Here's hoping for more reviews for this chapter. Thanks to everyone who supported me so far.