The next day, Emma got up at around 11:00 AM. She rubbed her eyes and yawned as she shoved her crescent-moon glasses onto her nose. "G'morning, Mom," she called. Nobody replied. In fact, the only other sound that could be heard was a car driving off. Is Mom even here? Emma looked at her nightstand. There was a Post-It note stuck on. She can't be working on a Saturday! She picked it up and read it.
Dear Emma,
I left my briefcase at the bank, and I need it over the weekend. Why? Well, we both know my boss is a jerk, and that jerk gave me a project on the weekend. Anyway, Since my car's at the shop, one of my coworkers kindly offered to drive me over to the bank. We won't be gone very long; I just wanted you to know, in case you tried to file a Missing Persons report. I'll see you around 11:20!
Love,
-
Mommy
Emma sighed heavily and rolled out of bed. Yeah, like I'd really do that. I guess I'll go visit the guys now.
… … …
"Hey, Emma! Nice hair," Sora commented.
Emma tried to flatten her bed-head hair that she was too hurried to comb before. "Don't make me pummel you. 'Cause I can. Where are we going next?" she asked Max, who was sitting in the driver's seat up front.
Sora smirked. "Yeah, Maxie? Where are we going next?"
Max gave Sora a death stare, then turned to Emma. "We're going to Atlantica."
Emma leaned back in her chair. "I hate that world…at least we get to be animals."
Goofy nervously surveyed the water-filled rock ahead. "Gawrsh, will we be able to breathe down there?"
"Like I said, we have to become sea animals."
Donald inspected his Morning Star. "I think my magic can handle that."
"YOU THINK?" Sora exploded. "WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
Donald said nothing, but leaned over and pushed the Disembark button on the dashboard. As they disappeared, Sora waved and called, "Bye, Maxie!"
"IT'S MAX!"
… … …
Sora looked himself over, happily admiring his new form. "Awesome! I'm a merman!" After further inspection, he sighed. "Oh. I'm half shark." He brightened again quickly. "That's even more awesome!"
Goofy floated down next. He had transformed into a sea turtle, his shield strapped to his back. Donald was next, floating upside-down, his blue tentacles waving. He looked upset until he saw the fourth member of their party float down. "Hey, look at Emma!"
As everyone looked up, she darted behind a rock. "NO!"
"Aw, c'mon down, Emma!" Goofy pleaded.
"NO!"
"Please?" Sora followed up. "You can't look THAT bad."
"Fine," Emma replied flatly. She reluctantly swam down, narrowing her eyes. She had the body of a grey-and-brown seal. Her necklace was tied around her right fin.
Sora chuckled. "Aw…Emma, you look so cuuuuute!"
"This is why I wanted to stay behind the rock."
"Hey!" a voice echoed. "Are you down there?"
Donald looked around. "I think that's for you, Emma."
Emma shook her head. "I don't recognize anyone with that voice."
"You should go anyway," Sora suggested. "We'll handle this world."
"Okay." Emma swam over to the white clam, summoned the Grand Mallet, and bashed it open, revealing the save point. At least I can stop being a seal.
… … …
"Heeeeey, are you down there? Huh? Huh?"
Emma hurriedly turned off her PS2. "Coming!" She bounded up the stairs, only to be met by a little boy at the landing. "Um…hi. Who are you? And why are you in my house?"
"Daddy had to drive Alissa to the bank, and he had to bring me with them, 'cause he didn't want to leave me alone at home. He made Sis come, too, even though she's sixteen."
"Alissa? You mean my mom? And I still have no clue who you are!"
The little boy cocked his head to one side. "Alissa didn't tell you?"
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Didn't tell me what?" she asked suspiciously.
"You'll see. C'mon outside!" He dragged her a few feet, then stopped and turned. "Oh, and my name's Jake Quinn. Nice to meet you!" He then resumed dragging Emma outside. "Here!"
Emma looked around. "What do you want me to…see…?" She stared in horror at a car across the street. Her mother was kissing some guy, presumably the coworker that drove her to the bank. "That's Daddy! He and Alissa started dating."
"What? Dating?" Emma turned around to look at Jake again. "What happened to your mom?"
"They got a divorce," he explained. "What happened to your dad? Alissa wouldn't tell us when we asked."
Emma froze momentarily. "My dad…" she turned her face away from Jake so he couldn't see her. "…my dad died. When I was six years old."
Jake lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Emma told him, shaking her head. "It's not like you did anything."
"I asked. That's doing something."
"You didn't know. It was a natural question to ask."
Alissa turned around. "Emma! I'm glad you're out here. Come on over!" Emma trotted over to the man's car, followed by Jake. "Emma, this is my new boyfriend, Taylor Quinn. I see you've already met Jake! Lydianne, come say hello to Emma!"
There was a thumping noise, and one of the car doors opened. A tall, teenage girl stalked out. She looked rather menacing, wearing a black, leather jacket, and peering at everything that moved over the top of her sunglasses, which were perched on her nose. "Call me Dia," the girl instructed Alissa. "Dee-ah. Dia. Got it?"
Heh, this reminds me of Goofy and Max, Emma thought. She held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Dia."
Dia stared at her, then at Taylor. "You said that Emma was Jake's age! She's gotta be, what, eleven years old?"
"Twelve," Emma corrected.
"Twelve," Dia repeated. "That's a five-year difference, Dad. She's not Jake's age."
Taylor shrugged. "Close enough."
Dia rolled her eyes, then tapped Emma's shoulder with a black-nailed finger. "Dad's going to talk with Alissa forever. Got anything to do?"
Emma nodded and walked back toward the house. "I've got a PS2."
"Awright, then! Which games?"
"Jak and Daxter, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Dark Cloud, Kingdom Hearts, DDR Extreme-"
"Kingdom Hearts!" Jake interrupted with a squeal. "Let's play that!"
They play Kingdom Hearts? Awesome! Emma grinned. "That's fine with me!"
… … …
Dia scanned a shelf in the basement. "There are so many games here…I can't find Kingdom Hearts! You got good taste in games, though, I'll give you that."
Emma laughed. "Thanks. The case is by the PS2; I was playing it earlier."
"How far are you?" Jake asked, jumping on the couch.
"I've beat it ten times. I'm at Atlantica right now."
"Cool! I'm stuck on the Stealth Sneak," Jake admitted. "Sis beat it, so I got to see a few parts later in the game. She usually plays at night, though, when Daddy's too tired to tell her she needs to stop playing. Can I watch you play?"
Emma sighed heavily. "Only if you promise not to tell anyone what you're going to see."
Dia and Jake nodded. "Yeah, sure," Dia told her.
Here it goes… Emma turned on the PS2. The green flames appeared on the floor. "Let's go in now."
"What the…is that what I think it is?" Dia shrieked.
"It's a save point!" Jake cried happily. "It's a real save point!"
Dia held her head in her hands. "I gotta be dreaming. That's right. I'm dreaming. There's not actually a save point on the floor, it's just a figment of my imagination, probably because I had too much…AAAAAGH!" Jake shoved his older sister into the save point, and she fell through. "I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THAT!" Dia swore as she disappeared.
Emma tried not to laugh. Jake looked up at her incredulously. "Wow! We can really go into the game?"
"If you're up for it. But you'll have to help us fight." Jake had dove in before Emma could finish speaking. I think we just found two more recruits! Emma leapt in after him.
… … …
"I'M DREAMING! I'M DREAMING! I'M DREAMING!" Dia screamed continually. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Max just stared blankly at her.
Emma and Jake walked to the front of the Valefor. "Emma, who's the foaming chick?" Sora asked. "And the little guy who's with you?"
"My mom's dating this weirdo now. These are his kids, Jake and Dia. They're big Kingdom Hearts fans, too."
Jake prodded Max's arm. "Why's he here, Emmy?"
"I brought him here. I can change the game."
Dia whirled around. "You can WHAT?"
Emma chuckled nervously. "I got this cheat code, and now I can go into the game. It also turns out that I can change it."
Jake hopped up and down. "That's amazing!"
"Emma, what's really going on here?" Dia asked, still holding her head in her hands.
"We have to help Sora, Donald, and Goofy through the game, because we already know what's going to happen. They especially need the help because if they faint, they die. I don't think we can die, though, since we're from the real world."
"Good," Dia sighed with relief.
"We can stop by Traverse Town to get you two some weapons," Max offered.
Jake shook his head. "I want a shield! Like Goofy!"
"And I want something that can be used to smack the dookie outta people."
Emma materialized the Grand Mallet. "Would you want this, Dia?"
Dia grabbed the golden hammer, examining it with great interest. "Sure I would! That is, if you're willing to give it to me."
"I can get a new weapon." Emma grinned. "I can get any kind of weapon I would want!" She leaned down. "Do you know what you'd want, Jake?"
"Make one up! I want a special one!"
Max pushed a button. "All right, we'll be at Traverse Town in a few minutes."
"Wait, don't you guys still have to lock Atlantica?"
Sora grinned at her. "We already did. While you were gone. Are you impressed?"
Emma laughed. "Very!"
"This is going to be awesome!" Dia decided, swinging the Grand Mallet around.
… … …
"Wow, Traverse Town!" Jake's hair flapped around as he ran in circles. "There's the Item Shop!" He dashed over, with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Emma, and Dia trailing him. "Come on!"
Huey, Douie, and Louie waved at them as they walked in. "Hiya, Unca Donald!" they greeted.
"I need a shield!" Jake exclaimed.
Huey handed him a large, red shield with black stripes that were outlined with white. "Here you go! It's called the Titan Shield. 1000 munny."
Jake hugged the oversized shield. "Thanks!"
Emma stepped forward. "I don't know what I want…what do you have?"
Douie found an elongated metal pole with a foam hand grip in the center. "200 munny," he told her.
"Anything else?"
Louie dropped ten, small, silver ninja stars on the counter. "We just got these Crystal Shurikens. It's 1000 for the set."
Emma took out a velvet bag. "I'll take them. The pole, too."
"Can you pay for my shield, Emma?"
"Sure." She placed 2200 munny by the cash register. "Thanks for the weapons!"
"No problem!" the triplets replied in unison.
Emma nodded and walked out. "We're going to Neverland next," she told her friends.
Jake ran around in circles around them, moving his arms like airplane wings. "We're going to fly!"
"Not until the end of the level," Dia reminded him.
He stopped, crossed his arms, and made a noise that sounded like a cross between a squeak, a grunt, and a sigh. "Myeh."
Everyone except Dia stared at the little boy. "What was that?" Donald asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's what he does when he's disappointed or upset," Dia explained, trying not to laugh. "You'll get used to it."
Emma shrugged as they headed back to the save point in the Accessory Shop. "To Neverland!"
