Heartless Imperfection
Chapter V
He landed Excalibur decently close to the city. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. A great landscape of industry, gas and fog everywhere. Seven huge structures dotting an enclosed circle and seemed to spew even more vaporous substances. They all seemed to connect at the middle point, the grandest structure in the entire city. Shin-Ra Headquarters, though Sora didn't know what it would be called.
His hair tattered in the wind; the blonde-haired man overlooked the landing of the new, funny-looking vessel. A long blade was slung across his back, and he had a gloved hand on the hilt. It shone a brilliant teal in the sunlight, defiant of rust and dull edges. He was on the edge of an unfinished highway, accompanied by two tall humans. "Is that what we're here for, Cloud?" He merely nodded, and began to climb down a conveniently placed chain to the ground.
Sora was busy closing the cockpit to Excalibur when two strangely dressed females and a man approached him. A helicopter flew by, and as they got approached, Heartless appeared. The keyblade appeared in Sora's gloved hand, but Cloud called out, "There are too many, we have to move inside."
Sora looked around, and watched as uncountable heartless thundered across the dusty plains. Large, small, flying, the horde marched toward Midgar.
Donald pulled the Gummi ship out of the warp, still expressionless from previous events. Goofy was looking out the cockpit window, watching as they started to meet the ground. "Why is it all black down there, Donald?"
The duck looked down for a moment, "It's not all black, look-," He paused, noticing Sora's Gummi Ship amidst the darkness, being swallowed before his very eyes. "No!" He exclaimed, quacking, and pulled his own Gummi Ship into a dive, blasters firing. "It's the Heartless!" Announced Goofy, holding onto his seat in the ship. Donald decimated a long line of the evil creatures only to see the ground covered by the same monsters again.
"D'ya think Sora was still in the ship?" asked Goofy, his white-gloved hand to his mouth. The two had changed into un-formal clothing before leaving. Goofy wore a black vest with an orange under-shirt, and blue slacks with brown shoes. Donald kept his sky-blue garb, a long-sleeved shirt and hat.
Donald looked away, deciding to land somewhere in the huge city. They would have to look for him, if he had survived.
"This place is worse than anything I've ever had nightmares of," Donald declared, after he and Goofy had walked around a Slums area for about an hour. This place was composed of mainly humans, poor and hungry. They were surrounded by scraps of material, all items before them far more industrious and technological than Donald's world would ever be.
"Why would Sora come to a place like this?" Goofy asked no one in particular as they went forward, past numerous humans. He wrinkled his nose at the stench lying around particular homes, usually shacks made of cheap metals and sheet rock. "Who knows," Donald replied, before he nearly fell over. A woman in pink shoved through, not seeing him, and almost knocked him flat on his beak. "Watch it, lady!" He screamed, fist shaking. She turned around. Holding onto her hand was a child in a pretty dress with short, brown hair. "Sorry Donald," The woman said, she started to turn away. She froze, and looked back at the duck. "Donald?"
The shorter figure shrugged, "Good to see you, too, Aerith."
She looked past him in horror, as men in blue started to approach them. "Shin-Ra!"
The duo turned around to face five men with masks on, and elaborate uniforms. The antagonists pointed their weapons at Aerith, "We're only here for the woman, you two, get out of the way." Goofy let out a "hyuck", and dashed at them, shield in front. It was sterling-edged and had a King Mickey symbol on the front. Donald waved his Wand, and two of the soldiers fell, stunned by lightning. Goofy stumbled over to the other three, pushing one flat on his back, and knocking out another with a swift slap to the face via shield. The last one threw a grenade, and began to run. Donald pushed Aerith and the little girl away, and took the brunt of the grenade's force. A simple cure healed him after all was done.
Goofy watched the Shin-Ra soldier run away, apparently to tell his officers where Aerith was heading. Donald turned to the tall, longhaired woman. She had a pink bow in her hair, and she was smiling at her old friend. "What're you doing all the way out here, Donald," She asked.
"Looking for Sora," He said, "Have you seen him?"
Aerith nodded simply and dragged the shorter female with her, walking toward an exit to the slums. Donald and Goofy stumbled past a group of onlookers and followed closely.
"Cloud, Tifa and I found him on the edge of Midgar, just before the Heartless came. He came at exactly the right time, oddly." She explained while getting ready to leave again.
Donald watched her, "So he's still alive," He asked.
She nodded, and stepped toward the exit of her house. Before she touched the doorknob, it turned, and Tseng of the Turks pushed the door open. "Who's he?" Donald quacked, ready for a fight.
"None of your business, meddling duck," Tseng, a long, black haired man in a blue suit cast a magic spell on him, throwing him into a wall. As Goofy charged, Tseng cast the same spell and tossed him against the stairs, near where the little girl was watching, an old woman holding her tight.
Aerith screamed, "Leave them alone! Take me with you," She threw up her arms, forcing Tseng to refrain from using his magic on her mother and the child. Tseng complied, smiling, and began to lead her away. "Mother! Point Donald and Goofy toward Sector Seven! The pillar! Sora's there!" Tseng turned his wrist on her arm, causing her to cry out as he forced her out of the house, closing the door on his way out.