FG: Welcome back to CC2! As you know, I'm still picking reviewers to do the disclaimer before each chapter, as well as poking fun at them. But before I introduce this chapter's reviewer, I have an announcement to make that will make all of you happy! Since a ton of you want to be in the real story…well, this is slightly spoiling CC3, but I think you guys deserve to know ahead of time.

Riku: GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!

FG: Okay, okay…yeesh. Remember the Alpha Wolf Gang from Chapter 1? Well, after the whole "save the real world" business in CC2 is over, Robin rejoins the Alpha Wolf Gang, only to learn a very odd secret that each of them shares…they all play Kingdom Hearts too! But that's not it…they're you guys!

Reviewers: Say what?

FG: Yes, the Alpha Wolf Gang, which becomes Ino (Ichiban no Ookami), is entirely made up of reviewers! However, there's only seven spots, and three of them have been taken already.

Ino 1: Robin

Ino 2: Tolea

Ino 3: Ookami (you guys know him as LoneWolfStar99)

Ino 4: N/A

Ino 5: N/A

Ino 6: N/A

Ino 7: N/A

Robin: So, do ya think yer good enough ta be in my gang? Then sign up in yer review, and hope yer one 'a the lucky four!

FG: All the information you need will be in Ultra-Author's Notes, Part II, the chunk of text after the actual chapter. But for now, please welcome Krystal!

Shadow: (cocks his Super Nova) What about us?

FG: (gulps) Oh…yeah…and Krystal's guests, Shadow and Kaiya.

Kaiya: That's better! Right? Huh? Huh? Huh? Am I right? Huh? Right? Right? (pokes Shadow)

Shadow: (shudders) Can I kill her now?

Krystal: Knock yourself out, nya.

Shadow: (shoots a bullet from the Super Nova)

Kaiya: Ooh…pretty light… (explodes)

Shadow: That felt good.

FG: So, tell us a little about yourselves.

Kaiya: (somehow comes back together) I like poking people and annoying Shadow.

Shadow: (glares at Kaiya) I like guns…and torching Kaiya.

Krystal: I like a lot of things…but my favorite is attacking HER, nya. (also glares at Kaiya)

Kaiya: (gulps)

FG: Y'know, the sooner you say the disclaimer, then sooner you can beat up Kaiya,

Shadow and Krystal: (grin evilly, then start talking really fast) FG owns Emma, Dia, Jake, Robin, Bernie, Coeur/Hart, Miaow, Haiiro, Eclipse, Taylor, Lyze, Silke, Kinzoku, Sadym, Alissa, Miru, Etoile, Lotte, Aurelie, and Darcy.

Krystal: Nya.

Donald: Oh, great! Four more OCs? You already have sixteen without them!

FG: Don't worry…three of them are only in this chapter.

Sora: Which one's in another chapter?

FG: Pffffft. Like I'd tell you.

Sora: (starts crying)

Shadow: (fishes a flamethrower out of his pocket) Can you end this now? What I'm about to do may be a little too graphic for CC2 to describe.

FG: Sure. Here's Chapter 18!

Krystal: Thanks, nya. (also takes out a flamethrower)

Kaiya: (screams)

… … … … … … … … …

"Whoa." Dia stared at Past Lyze as she trotted through the swarming streets of Muscadet. "She looks even younger than she did in Sadym's memory."

Present Lyze smiled. "I was nineteen years old then. Here, I'm eighteen."

Dia just blinked and continued staring. "Whoa," she repeated.

Jake lightly tugged on Present Lyze's hand. "Were you part of Clan Ritz?" he squealed. "It would be awesome if you were!"

"Clan Ritz?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "Why would Lyze be in a group with the same name as a cracker brand?"

"Ritz Malheur is a character from Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance," Emma explained. "She's a human, but she leads a clan of all-viera warriors. So, were you?" she also asked.

Present Lyze winked. "You'll find out soon enough," she replied slyly.

"So that's a yes?"

Her rabbit-like ears suddenly drooped and flattened against her green-tinted hair. "Yeah," she mumbled.

Axel took out a Mingling Worlds 3 card and followed Past Lyze. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's watch the memories unfold."

… … …

"Why are you so early, Miss Rune?" Past Lyze walked into a small, colonial pub. A man in a turban and a pointed, white goatee peered over his counter at her. "Mr. Berbier is still meeting with Miss Malheur right now…the clan meeting isn't for another half hour."

The little viera grinned. "Ezel's here?" she cooed, nearly tripping on her flowing, white robes as she ran towards the back room. "Ezel!"

A pink-haired girl looked up from a cardboard box. "Good morning, Lyze. I…didn't expect you so soon…"

"It's okay, though, isn't it?"

An older viera, in her mid-twenties, glanced at her, then cracked a small smile. "Of course. In fact, would you mind helping us with something?"

Past Lyze shook her head. "I'd be happy to, Shara!"

Shara passed her two more boxes. "Great. The brown box is our current law and anti-law cards. The white box is the ones that Ezel will trade with us."

"Um…yeah…good…er…which ones are which again?" Past Lyze asked nervously.

The pink haired girl sighed heavily. "The brown-and-gold cards are law cards. The white-and-pink ones are anti-law cards. Remember that."

A mooing laugh came from a corner. "Now, now, Ritz! Lyze is an innocent little girl who isn't accustomed to molding laws around." A grayish creature that resembled a manatee patted Past Lyze's head. "Cut her a little slack, hmm?"

Ritz gave him a slightly annoyed look, then replied, "I guess you're right, Ezel…" She turned to Lyze. "But try to remember which cards are which, okay?" Past Lyze nodded. "Good."

"Yoo-hoo!" a high-pitched voice called. "I'm, like, here!"

Past Lyze groaned in annoyance and attempted to cover her large ears. "Oh, no…it's HER."

"Miss Shara! I'm, like, ready for the clan meeting!" Another young viera ran down the pub's stairs and into the back room. She wore a yellow tank top, a matching miniskirt, a glittering headband, and dark brown ribbons around each wrist and ankle. She looked, overall, like a weak valley girl, except for the haversack slung over her shoulder, which was filled with arrows and several decorated bows. "I'm not, like, late, am I?"

"We're both early," Past Lyze announced sourly. "So shut up and help me look through these cards."

The other viera stared at her in disgust. "Help you? Ugh, like, gag me with a spoon." She flitted over to Shara. "Do YOU need any help, Miss Shara?"

Shara didn't look up from Ezel's stock. "Actually, Lyze is helping me. Thanks for asking anyway, Etoile."

Etoile continued staring. "Y'mean this little ragoverth?"

"Rago-what?" Ezel's cow-like snout twitched. "Dear me, I can't understand a lick of what you crazy kids say now!" He chortled good-naturedly.

Past Lyze glared at Etoile. "Don't worry, she's the only one who talks like that."

"What's SHE doing here early, like, anyway?"

Shara finally looked up from her work. "Same as you. Lyze was waiting for the clan meeting."

Ritz growled at the younger viera. "If you're not going to help, would you leave already? We have tons of work to do before the engagement with Clan Nutsy."

The valley girl raised her black-tipped hands defensively. "Don't, like, go on a babbling ram! The 'great' Miss Malheur shouldn't lower herself so much as to oi-ya all over some dorkasaurus like me." She skipped out the door. "Like, ignore me, I'm just gonna go nab a few baby freddies."

The back room was quiet. "Baby freddies?" Ezel finally murmured questioningly.

… … …

"Personally, I think Marche is, like, totally drooly."

Ritz, Shara, Lyze, and three other vieras gave Etoile confused looks. "Excuse me?" one viera in a red cape spoke up, shivering quite a bit.

Etoile rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a dweebweeder, Lotte. I said Marche is drooly! Do you need me to speak, like, idiopath for you?"

"That doesn't explain anything!" Yet another viera, this one wearing blue and silver armor and a white headband with a horn strapped on, placed a hand on Lotte's quaking shoulder. "Can't you talk like a normal person? You're acting like a moron."

"Ohhhhh, scholar, Aurelie!" Etoile snorted.

Aurelie pursed her lips. "Shut up. Ritz?" She leaned to the side to speak to the clan's leader. "Please continue."

"Yeah, we're going to need a good strategy to kick Clan Nutsy's butt!" an elementalist agreed heartily.

"Thank you, Darcy."

Ritz crossed her arms. "Yes, thank you, Darcy. Here's the strategy: Etoile, we're putting you in 2-3. You can shoot arrows pretty far, so you're being stationed in the back row."

Etoile pumped her fists in happiness. "Ka-kaw!" she squealed.

Trying her best to ignore the valley girl, Ritz continued, "Lotte, since you can cast spells, being a Red Mage and all, you're stationed in 2-1."

"O-okay," Lotte stuttered.

"Aurelie, you're in 2-4."

"Thanks."

"Darcy, you're good at plain physical attacks too, so we're putting you up front in 1-1."

"Got it!"

"Shara, you're in 1-3. You can shoot too, but we need you for primary defense."

"That's fine, Ritz."

"I'll be in 1-2. Lyze, you're in-"

Past Lyze grinned. "I'm in 1-4? Great! I've never been up front before!"

Ritz sighed. "No, Lyze…you're in 2-2. In-between Lotte and Etoile."

Etoile's eyes shot wide open. "Oh, barf me out! I have to stand next to that mailbox-head?"

"Please, don't put us together!" Past Lyze begged.

"Calm down. It's not like you have to hug or be friends…that's just your starting station."

Past Lyze and Etoile glared at each other. "Idiot," Lyze grunted.

"Zanzay," Etoile mumbled back.

… … …

"Okay, let's go over our stations." Clan Ritz was gathered at the foot of a snowy mountain in the Lutia Pass, as were the Juu Senshi, but out of sight. Ritz was perched atop a wooden post. "Etoile, you're in-"

Etoile crossed her thin arms. "Yappy-ho-yap-yap. We know our positions," she hissed, stealing a glance towards Past Lyze. "So, where is Clan Nutsy? They ARE, like, coming, aren't they?"

"Nice to see you again, guys!" A blonde boy wearing a red, white, and blue outfit stepped out of a crack in the mountain. Following him was a moogle with a green shirt, another moogle wearing white armor, a creature similar to Ezel who wore dim, red robes, a bipedal lizard with a purple, steel mask on, a viera wearing all black, and another human who wore a large yellow hat. "So, are you ready to start?"

Ritz smirked. "Whenever you are, Marche."

The first moogle hopped up and down. "Not yet, kupo! We have to wait for the judge, kupo!" A generic armored man appeared and blew a whistle.

"Happy, now, Montblanc?"

"Kupo…let's go, then."

Both clans assembled themselves into position. Then, the judge blew his whistle again, and Ritz leapt forward, brandishing a thin, lavender-colored rapier. "PIERCETHROUGH!" She stabbed the manatee-like creature, who grunted and stumbled a little.

Marche took a flask out of his pocket. "Azimov! Catch!" Azimov grabbed it and drank its contents in one gulp.

"Darcy!" the judge called.

The elementalist grinned and walked a few steps past Ritz. "Evil Gaze!" she yelled, holding up the Joyeuse, Present Lyze's favorite weapon. The dark energy ball floated into the human with the hat. His eyes dulled.

"Loki!"

After the judge called his name, the boy stepped forward, looking dazed, and shot an arrow into Montblanc's back. "Kupo!" he squeaked in surprise.

In the sidelines, Robin yawned. "This is pretty slow-paced. When's the REAL action gonna start?"

Present Lyze rolled her eyes. "This is a turn-based engagement. All Ivalician fights are."

"Boring!" Jake plopped down in the snow.

"Etoile!"

The Juu Senshi fell silent as the archer bounded in Marche's direction. They were eager to see the constantly-complaining viera prove herself in battle. "BLINDSHOT!" Etoile whipped out an arrow and shot it in-between Marche's eyes with an eerie and deadly accuracy.

Marche's eyes clouded and became black. He wobbled around, then smacked into the side of the mountain. "What's wrong with HIM?" Sora asked.

"Etoile blinded him," Present Lyze casually informed the Keyblade Master. "She was always good at blinding people…"

Jake was still sitting in the snow, yawning. "When's it gonna get good?" he asked, echoing Robin's earlier comment.

Emma hit him lightly. "Be nice, Jake."

Present Lyze just smiled. "Soon enough. In fact…look!" She pointed a black-tipped finger at a purple light that was shining in back of Aurelie. "This is when it gets good!" she whispered, as if she was watching a movie.

Aurelie turned around and jumped back. "What the…are you doing that, Darcy?"

Darcy shook her head. "The Joyeuse is still in my knapsack," she replied, pulling it out and showing it to the summoner.

"Then…Lotte?"

The Red Mage shivered. "No, not me," she denied fearfully. "Any of you?" She looked at Clan Nutsy, as did the rest of Clan Ritz.

Montblanc shrugged. "We haven't got a clue, kupo!"

"I'll see if I can get rid of it," Past Lyze volunteered. "SHELL!" A white barrier formed around the light, then cracked. The light was still there. "Well, that didn't help…"

Etoile scoffed. "And you, like, thought it would? Gosh, Lyze, you're such a metadork."

Past Lyze glared at her enemy, but stopped abruptly when a black figure came out of the purple light. "Whoa!" She cautiously held up her Pure Staff.

"Like, who are you?" the archer demanded.

The figure opened its glowing, yellow eyes. A smirk was visible beneath the strips of gauze covering its mouth. "Most call me Guardian…but you, young lady, may call me Boss."

Etoile stuck up her nose. "Oh, I'd LOVE working for a table-butt like you…yert!"

Guardian stared at her, not blinking at all. "Er…what?" He shrugged a little. "Listen closely. I am forming a…company…called the Heartless Army. I need the strongest fighters available, and it would please me for you to join."

"Table-butt," Etoile repeated.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"NO!" she hollered.

The ruler of the Heartless narrowed his eyes until they were ominous slits. "I will not take no for an answer, you understand."

"Neither will we!" Past Lyze chirped, pushing Etoile forward. "Listen, Mr. Guardian Guy, it would please US if you took her off her hands. Win-win situation, huh? Well, then!" She gave Etoile one final shove. "Looks like you got yourself a recruit! Seeya later, Etoile!"

Shara sighed. "Lyze, we still need her."

Aurelie buffed her nails on her pastel armor. "Do we? Hadn't noticed."

"As much as I hate to say it, we DO need the valley girl," Ritz admitted.

"I need her more," Guardian insisted in a hissing tone.

Past Lyze, sighed, then stuck her index finger and thumb in her mouth, then blew. "Formation 7480!" she announced, and ran to stand in front of Guardian. Laughing, Darcy and Aurelie followed suit.

"I hate this formation…" Lotte grumbled, joining them.

Guardian growled. "What are you doing?"

Past Lyze just grinned. The four vieras starting singing off-key and doing the can-can. "Have you seen the well-to-do, up and down Park Avenue, on that famous thoroughfare? With their noses in the air? High hats and narrow collars, white spats and lots of dollars! Spending every dime for a wonderful time!"

Off to the side, Bernie laughed. "Why are you guys singing this, of all songs?"

"You'll see," Present Lyze told her, repeating the phrase she had said so many times during their stay in Ivalice.

The vieras continued singing. "Now, if you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where the fashion sits…"

Past Lyze raised her arms and dropped to her knees like some cheesy Broadway star and cooed, "…puttin' on the Ritz!"

Guardian looked far from amused. Not only were Past Lyze, Aurelie, Darcy, and a fuming Lotte doing the can-can, they were kicking him in the face. "Do they always do this?" he asked Etoile, who nodded somberly and flinched, since she was also being kicked.

In a reaction unlike her normal attitude, Ritz chuckled softly. Past Lyze got up and resumed her can-can. "Dressed up like a million-dollar trooper, trying hard to look like Gary Cooper!"

"Super-duper," Lotte sang out glumly.

"Come, let's mix where Rockefellers walk with sticks, or 'um-ber-ellas', in their mitts!"

Past Lyze twirled, then dropped again. "Puttin' on the Ritz! Puttin' on the-"

"You would fare well to close your mouth, White Mage," Guardian spat. He gripped her collar, and Past Lyze was suddenly six feet off the ground. He glared at everyone in Clan Nutsy and Clan Ritz. "If you do not supply me with a decent recruit by midnight tonight, I shall be forced to assume that you are willing to part with your little ringleader here…" He shook Past Lyze roughly, then dropped her. "…and that she is willing to part with her head!" He disappeared.

… … …

Clan Ritz was gathered around the table in the Muscadet Pub's back room. "I don't trust this Guardian guy," Ritz announced.

"Agreed," Past Lyze whimpered, rubbing her neck.

Aurelie banged her fist on the table, prompting it to shake. "We can't let Lyze go. She's too young." She gestured to Etoile. "She can go, though."

"I'M EIGHTEEN TOO, YOU RAGOVERTH!"

Nobody seemed to notice Etoile's comment. "So, who wants to join the Heartless Army? It'll probably be risky, but it seems like fun." Aurelie gave a dark chuckle.

"Not until we're sure of their motives," Ritz snapped. "I know I don't seem particularly caring, but I don't want any of you to follow that Guardian unarmed…except maybe Etoile," she mumbled under her breath.

Etoile pouted. "I, like, heard that!"

Ritz cleared her throat. "Any volunteers to check this guy out?"

Lotte did her trademark shudder. "Not me. It would be scary."

Darcy shook her head furiously. "I don't want to go either! Maybe I'll join after we see what he's up to, but no way am I going to be the guinea pig in this operation!"

Aurelie's hand inched her way up, but a soft voice interrupted, "I'll go."

Everyone stared at the White Mage in the corner. "Are you sure, Lyze?" Shara looked confused. "You just said-"

"I said I didn't trust him. I didn't say I was scared of him. I'll go."

Etoile waggled her fingers at Past Lyze. "Ba! We'll, like, miss you loads, Lyzzie!"

Past Lyze gave her an unemotional, half-lidded glance. "Whatever." She picked up her Pure Staff and stomped out the door.

… … …

"Have you decided to join me, girl?"

Past Lyze inspected the inside of the Cyril Town Pub. "It depends. I want more information on what you're doing."

"Pardon me?"

"The Heartless Army. What exactly would I be doing if I joined? And don't lie to me."

Guardian gave a loud, scratchy sigh. "I will tell you the basics."

Past Lyze crossed her arms. "No, you're going to tell me everything."

"Curiosity killed the moogle, you know. But if it will entice you to join, I shall impart the details to you."

"Fine. Whatever."

The spiky Heartless floated around, in deep thought. "I will admit, the Heartless Army is not particularly kind."

"I figured that from the name," Lyze responded rudely.

"Temper, temper…we are traversing to different worlds, all across the universe…and destroying them."

Apparently, Past Lyze had prepared herself for some devious plan, but this news of destroying entire worlds shocked her. "Destroying them? And the people in it?"

Guardian smirked. "And the people in it. Everything must be obliterated."

"That's horrible!" Past Lyze screeched. "How could you do that?"

"The light sickens me. Every light must fade…every heart return to darkness!"

Past Lyze tried not to let her terror get the best of her. "And when a heart returns to darkness?"

"They become my minions, naturally. You, however…if you join me in my quest, you will be likened to a hero among those who thrive in the dark."

"Heroine," she corrected stiffly. "And you're a jerk. A maniacal jerk."

Guardian growled, then narrowed his glowing, yellow eyes. "I take it that you will not join me?"

"No! And neither will anyone else in Muscadet, let alone the rest of Ivalice!"

"Foolish girl…if you do not join, yours will not be the only head to roll." He resumed floating around; he had stopped abruptly when Past Lyze reprimanded him. "I will personally see to it that every inch of this world crumbles."

Past Lyze's eyes shot open. "NO!" she cried again. "DON'T YOU DARE DESTROY IVALICE!"

"Well…it seems there is a bargain that can be made." Guardian smirked again. "I will spare your precious world…as long as you join the Heartless Army."

The viera hung her head sadly. "I'll join," she murmured. "Can I at least say goodbye to everyone in Clan Ritz?"

Guardian nodded. "I do not see the harm in that…you will never see them again, after all. This is a full-time job." Past Lyze remained silent. "You may spend the remainder of the day with them. Tomorrow, I shall give you a special ship for you to sail to a world called Spira. Your first duty is to pick up a fellow employee, a man called Karson Alka."

"Okay…" Past Lyze trudged out the door. "…but I still think you're a jerk."

… … …

The Juu Senshi walked through Baguba Port, an Ivalician city that laid in the middle of Cyril and Muscadet. "The last door's around here, right?" Emma was leaning against a street sign, rubbing her ankles.

Axel nodded briefly as he searched his pockets for a card to accompany the Key to Truth he had out, emblazoned with the Heartless Insignia. "This is, apparently, when Lyze leaves to meet Sadym and Kinzoku."

"His name's Karson," Sadym corrected him.

The red-head just shrugged and held out the Key to Truth card and an Alchemic Waking 7. "After this, we can see Naminé. Then you can carry out whatever business you wanted to." He glanced at Silke, who did nothing but continue to walk. "Let's go."

… … …

Ritz and the rest of her clan members were sitting on various pieces of luggage. They had been placed and discarded there by the many people coming to or from the port. "So…you're really leaving?" The leader tapped her fingers on a suitcase.

"Yes." Past Lyze was standing resolutely in front of a spiked, black Gummi ship. "Besides…it'll train me plenty, so I can be an elementalist, then a summoner."

Aurelie looked the most depressed out of all of the vieras. "That's good, but I wanted to teach you…it can't be helped, though."

Darcy lightly hit Aurelie's arm. "You guys should be happy for Little Lyze! She's getting her big break! Moving up from a clan, and into a big company where she can see other worlds!"

Past Lyze laughed nervously. She hadn't told them what she would be doing once she saw those other worlds. "I'll be fine, guys."

Shara smiled at her. "We know you will."

"Visit us," Lotte murmured. "We want to see how you're doing."

Etoile was glaring at Past Lyze. She didn't take too kindly to people stealing her 'spotlight'. "Rah, rah, Lyzzie got a job. Big whoop."

"Someone's jealous!" Darcy chirped.

The archer stuck up her nose. "I'm only quagging because you guys are, like, blowing this outta proportion."

Past Lyze grinned. "Don't worry, I'll be back when I'm a summoner…and then I'll kick your butt to show you who's boss!"

Etoile shook her head furiously. "I could, like, nape you any day, cakehead!"

Both teenagers advanced towards each other, but Ritz held them back. "This is Lyze's goodbye party. It's special. No breaking each others noses until she comes back."

Aurelie leapt off the parcel she was sitting on. "I know the perfect way to send her off!" She whistled, then yelled, "Formation 7480!"

"Formation 7480!" Darcy and Past Lyze echoed happily.

Lotte seemed to wilt. "I hate this…" she informed them. Still, she heaved herself up. "I'll do it for HER, though…" The Red Mage waved a finger at Past Lyze.

"Whoo!" Past Lyze ran away from the Gummi ship and over to her friends. They stood in a line, then glanced at Etoile. "Sure you don't wanna dance?"

Etoile stuck out her tongue. "No thanks. I'm, like, good."

Past Lyze shrugged. "Suit yourself. A-one and a-two, and a-"

"Have you seen the well-to-do, up and down Park Avenue, on that famous thoroughfare? With their noses in the air? High hats and narrow collars, white spats and lots of dollars! Spending every dime for a wonderful time! Now, if you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where the fashion sits?"

"Puttin' on the Ritz!"

… … …

While most of the Juu Senshi were talking about the events they had witnessed on Floor 12, Present Lyze and Eclipse were walking a few yards behind them. "Now I know why you want to save Ivalice so badly…it's an amazing place."

Lyze nodded. "Yeah, but I wouldn't mind Guardian and Taylor taking Etoile."

Eclipse laughed. "I know why you'd want that, too." He stopped abruptly, then looking up ahead at Coeur, meowing happily on Bernie's shoulder. "Hart says she's proud of my skills…but they're not good enough to change her back."

"She has every right to be proud, no matter what species she is!" Lyze exclaimed. "That Niku-Whatsit practically scared the daylights out of me!"

"Nikushimi."

"Yeah, that."

The Nekoshu stuffed his hands in his vest pockets. "I don't want to work for the Heartless. Not at all." Lyze's happy look faded. Eclipse seemed to notice this change, because he quickly added, "But if I have to, I'll go with them, just until I can change Hart back."

Lyze squealed loudly, attracting the attention of the Juu Senshi up ahead. "THANK YOU!" She clamped onto Eclipse head, refusing to let go.

"Um…what's going on?" Emma laughed.

The viera immediately let go. "Nothing," she lied poorly. She handed Eclipse a scrap of paper when the group turned around again. "This is the address to the Rei no Aku HQ, Dia and Jake's house. Tell them you're taking my place as the Magic Daimyo."

"Temporarily," Eclipse said firmly.

Lyze shrugged. "Okay, temporarily. Just go. And thanks again!" She patted Eclipse's head, then ran off to join the rest of the Juu Senshi.

Eclipse sighed. "Something tells me this is a VERY bad idea…" He walked over to the glowing sphere nearby, the Chain of Memories save point, and disappeared.

… … … … … … … … …

FG: That was Chapter 18!

Krystal: Get on with how to be an Ino!

FG: Hold on, I have another announcement. The next chapter of CC2, Chapter 19, will not be a normal chapter.

Shadow: Why not?

FG: I'm doing a special Christmas chapter!

Kaiya: But isn't the date in CC2 still July 4th?

FG: Yeah, that's why it's special! It'll be entirely in script format, just like in these Ultra-Author's Notes, a weird Christmas party for the CC2 cast! No worries about Eclipse joining Rei no Aku, no worries about saving the real world, just a demented little bonus chapter, just for fun, and just in time for the holidays! I'll start typing it this Friday, and I'm sending it in on December 23rd, so you can read it on Christmas Eve.

Sora: w00t for Christmas!

FG: Everyone who's been in the story so far is invited, from real characters like Emma and Sora, to guests like Colin and Tolea. Even people who were randomly forced in here, like Drew Carey and Tetsuko!

Tetsuko: NO WAFFLES!

FG: Okay, not Tetsuko.

Tetsuko: (sobs and wheels herself off)

Kaiya: We're invited too?

FG: Yep! (passes Krystal, Shadow, and Kaiya invitations)

Shadow: Cool. I'm SO torching the Christmas tree…

FG: So, you guys probably want to know how to be an Ino, right?

Reviewers: YES!

FG: (passes out copies of 'Applying to Be an Ino for Dummies') Just read these, and you'll know everything! Type the answers in your review. Tolea and Ookami, I need you to do this too.

Name: Your real first name.

Nickname: Your Ino nickname. Every member has a nickname, which in your case, is your username, or a shortened version of it.

Age: Your age, obviously.

Real World Appearance: This doesn't have to be how you really look, but it should be close. Include clothing description.

Game Appearance: How you want to look in the game.

Weapon: You only have a choice of these four…

Shield (like the Ikiteiru Shield)

Sword (like the Hikari Sword)

Random Bludgeoning Object (like the Grand Mallet…remember it?)

Staff (like the Shihaii Wand)

I will customize it for you, so don't give details on how it looks or what it does.

History: Why you joined the original Alpha Wolf Gang, or why you joined after it became Ino. Tolea, this is needed especially, since there are several references to you pelting Robin with wood chips, and we need to know why you reconsidered.

If I need any more information from you guys, I'll say so in future Ultra-Author's Notes. And this won't be a random choice, like the disclaimer drawing was; I'm picking based on how long you've been reading, and how often you review. Basically, how much you seem to love CC2.

FG: Send your applications in! If you do it soon enough, and are accepted, you may be invited to the Christmas special!

Tetsuko: I wanna go to the party…

FG: Too bad.

Tetsuko: (sniffs loudly) WAAAAAFFFFFLLLLLEEEEESSSSS! (chases FG)

FG: Great…FG out, yo! (runs away)

Kaiya: Finally, someone else is getting picked on!

Krystal and Shadow: (glance at each other, then smash Kaiya's head)

Krystal: Nighty-night, nya!