FG: Welcome back to CC2! Sorry for this chapter's delay…I was fixing up the first chapter of the original Cheat Code, and I just got a new computer. The internet connection refused to cooperate, and wouldn't hook up. Enough of my excuses, though; please welcome our next lucky disclaimer guest, ShadowShapeshifterAndHerCat, or SSAHC!
SSAHC: Hey! Thanks for inviting me.
Emma: So, how are you going to entertain us today?
SSAHC: Well, let's see…I like drawing, playing games, killing people…
Everyone else: (gulps)
SSAHC: …not literally, of course. Annoying people, acting stupid/crazy/random/hyper, forcing people to drink root beer…hey, let's go with that! (pulls out cans of A&W Root Beer) THIS IS A STICK-UP!
Everyone else: (holds their arms in the air)
SSAHC: You first! (stalks over to Donald) DRINK THE ROOT BEER!
Donald: That's not much of a threat. Root beer's decent.
SSAHC: Not when it's been used as a temporary litter box for a cat!
Donald: NOOOOOOOOOO!
SSAHC: (shoves the whole can down Donald's throat)
FG: Um…why don't you say the disclaimer now?
SSAHC: Huh? Oh, sure. The only people that FG owns are Emma, Dia, Jake, Robin, Bernie, Coeur/Hart, Miaow, Eclipse, Miru, the rest of the Nekoshus, the Nikushimi, Haiiro, Taylor, Lyze, Silke, Karson, Sadym, Alissa, Etoile, Lotte, Aurelie, and Darcy. NOW DRINK KITTIE-INDUCED ROOT BEER!
Everyone else: NOOOOOOOOOO!
FG: I knew I shoulda picked someone else…here's chapter 23. NOOOOOOOOOO!
… … … … … … … … …
"Wake up!" A bright wave of sunshine blared into the sleepy eyes of the Juu Senshi's female members the next morning. Bernie was standing by the window of their shared lodge room. "Guys, do you know where Emma is? I haven't seen her since last night! And have you seen Lyze? Or Silke?"
Robin rubbed her eyes, then glared at the French girl. "No, we dunno, an' no, we haven't either. Can you get that stupid sunlight outta my face now? I wanna go back ta sleep."
"It's 8:37 AM," she announced.
"Not in Osaka, it ain't."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Dia laughed as she sat up. "She just wants an excuse to sleep in." Someone knocked at the door, slowly and weakly. "I'll get it. It's probably one of the boys." She heaved herself up and headed for the entrance. "What do you guys…need?" Raising an eyebrow, Dia held out a hand to steady the two figures in the threshold. "Are you okay?"
The bags Emma and Axel had under their eyes were almost deep enough to rival a Nikushimi's. "Yes. We were studying for what was coming ahead in Hollow Bastion after we save your dad," Axel tried to explain. "But, as you can see…"
"It didn't go too well," Emma croaked.
Axel scratched his head. "We found some interesting stuff about the other worlds you're going to see, unless I can weasel out of my Organization XIII duties, in which case I should say WE'RE going to see, but that's not really-"
Dia smiled, but there was a nervous tinge to her expression. "That's great and all, guys, and we appreciate your effort, but we need to know where Lyze and Silke are. They're missing."
The weary Senshi suddenly snapped to attention. "We saw the boys running up here on their way back from breakfast," Emma offered. "They looked excited about something."
"But about what?"
Sora burst out into the hallway from the boys' room, swerving towards Emma, Axel, and Dia. "Guys, you have to see this! Lyze and Silke are beating the snot out of each other!"
The other boys, excluding Riku, ran out after him. "Catfight!" Jake exclaimed eagerly. "Come on, Sis, before it's over!"
"And by over…" Donald added. "…we mean one of them gets killed!"
The trio's eyes widened, and they hurried into the boys' room. "What do you mean, killed?" Emma asked nervously.
Donald groaned as he led them to the furthest window of the massive suite. "I told you already! They look like they're going to kill each other! Oh, good, they're still going at it," he mumbled, waddling towards the window overlooking the courtyard.
On the lawn, Lyze and Silke were slashing furiously at each other. Well, Silke was, anyway. Lyze just seemed exhilarated and amused at the same time. A loud string of Japanese curses flew out of the samurai's mouth as the golden Joyeuse nearly caught her in the neck, audible even on the fourth floor. Lyze had apparently pretended to reprimand her, but her voice was far quieter to the ears of the remaining Juu Senshi.
Kairi, Robin, and Bernie ran into the suite. "Wazzat Silke hollerin'? What's goin' on?" Robin demanded.
"Catfight!" Jake explained happily.
Kairi nudged her way in-between Axel and Goofy. "Aren't you guys worried?"
"Of course not!" Sadym replied. "They're both highly-trained fighters."
Emma suddenly looked around. "Sora?"
"Mmmyep?" The Keyblade Master lazily turned around from the match.
"Where's Riku?"
… … …
"Stupid Eclipse…" With a loud splash, a pebble sunk to the bottom of a small fountain outside. "…stupid Eclipse…" Another pebble was tossed in. "…stupid Eclipse…" Yet another was tossed, this one sprinkling Riku's face with a brief, chilling shower of droplets.
Emma walked over, silently watching Riku take his anger out on the fountain. I should have known this was going to happen…I shouldn't have ignored him last night. What happened gave me no right to do that.
Riku was glaring into the watery depths, blindly groping into the garden behind him for more ammunition. He unknowingly came upon a glass shard from a broken pot, tearing a slit in his glove and scraping his palm underneath. "Ow!" He winced and held his hand tightly.
"NAOSU!" Immediately turning green from her use of the Cure Stone, Emma ran over. "Did you get cut badly?" she asked tentatively.
"I'm fine," the silver-haired boy lied through gritted teeth.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Riku, I'm sorry! It was wrong to ignore you, and I know I hurt you, and you can brood all you want later, but right now, your hand's bleeding." She gently took Riku's hand into her own, and tapped the wound. It dissolved slowly, and blank skin was left in its place. "Do you feel better now?"
Riku kept his eyes on the ground. "I guess so."
"Okay, spill it. Why are you so upset?"
"YOU KNOW WHY!" he snapped, then softened a little when Emma shrunk back. "You just…seemed really depressed when Eclipse…y'know…left. We were just trying to make you feel better, Emma, honest. We weren't trying to pretend that Eclipse hadn't taken Coeur…that he hadn't tried to attack you…we just wanted you to feel happy until we could go track him down."
Emma nodded. "I know. I was shocked, and I blocked everyone out…now that I think about it, you have every right to be upset."
"No, I don't. If someone I cared about betrayed me, I would be sad too."
"Hence the pebble-throwing."
Riku looked confused. "What?"
Emma laughed a little. "You were throwing pebbles into the fountain," she repeated.
"Of course I was, but how's that relevant?"
"You said that if someone you cared about betrayed you, you would be sad too."
"Again, how's that relevant?"
The elementalist was fully laughing now. "You're really clueless sometimes, Riku. I've known that you were jealous of Eclipse since we went to the Flapping Monkey Reserve. I've known that you liked me since we went to Neverland. My liking Eclipse must feel like betrayal to you, hence the pebble-throwing."
Riku turned a shade of light red and looked away. "And here I thought YOU were the clueless one…"
Emma put her hand on his shoulder, making him turn even redder. "Riku, I've been trying to find an easier way to say this for two years, but I can't find one, so I'll say it straight-out. I just think of you as my best friend. I'm sorry, but I do. My opinion of you has changed a lot since I first threatened you with the Blizzard Stone back in Monstro, but…I'd rather just be friends." Emma held out her other hand.
"Oh." Riku looked reasonably startled and put-down, but he didn't look like he would burst into tears. "If…if that's what you want." Time seemed to stand still as he hesitated. Finally, crumbling at the sight of Emma's resolute face, he shook her hand. "Just…friends."
"Thanks for understanding, Riku." For a moment, the two simply sat beside the fountain, quietly. The tense air was suddenly shattered by a scream. They both leapt to their feet. "What was that?"
Nearby, Silke's anguished cries pelted Lyze in the face. "YOU BROKE MY SWORD!" she howled. "I RECEIVED THAT SWORD AS A GIFT WHEN I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD!"
Lyze evasively shielded her face with her hands. "It's not my fault, you were the one who said you needed sword practice!"
"But I did NOT tell you to BREAK MY SWORD!"
Emma stepped between the quarreling women. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What happened?"
Silke sniffled and thrust two slabs of metal into Emma and Riku's view. "This viera slashed my precious sword in half! The ignobility of it all!" she wailed.
"I'm sure there's a way to fix it," Riku assured her.
The blonde stiffened. "There is," she agreed in a temperamental, staccato voice. "But I refuse to go."
Riku sighed. "Where do you refuse to go?"
"My home world."
"Why don't you want to go back home?"
Silke glared. "I have not been to Hanasekai in a decade. I doubt its denizens would repair my sword, much less allow the Valefor to even dock there."
Lyze rolled her eyes and grabbed Silke's wrist. "We're going back to the others, NOW. I'm going to teleport us back to Emma's house, we're going back into Kingdom Hearts, and you're going to give Sora directions to Hanasekai, whether you like it or not. And if you fake the directions and lead us to Agrabah, the Land of Dragons, Port Royal, or some other weird Disney world, I'm going to break more than just your sword, Sakura."
Emma drooped. "Aw, can't we just make a pit stop at Port Royal?"
The viera gave her a half-lidded glance. "Wait until we have to go through the sequel. Right now, Silke here needs a little blast from the past."
"Fine…" Emma crossed her arms as she and Riku followed Lyze and Silke back into the hotel, sadly humming 'A Pirate's Life For Me'.
… … …
"Go through the warp hole," Silke hissed, standing by the driver's seat in the Valefor. Sora was frantically pressing random buttons, then steered their Gummi ship into a swirling vortex. "Don't knock into those meteors. Keep one hand near the brake lever so you can prevent an impact with them. Eyes on the road, stop glancing at your little friends for help! Keep both of your hands at 10:00 and 2:00 on the wheel. Stay to the right side of the passage. And keep one hand on the gun trigger at all times, just in case."
Sora was sweating now. "But you just told me to keep my warp brake near my passage so I can knock the 10:00 friends with my wheel, and our hole won't impact with my right hand trigger!"
The Juu Senshi stared blankly at Sora. "Er…something like that," Silke mumbled. She picked up a piece of paper, wrote something on it, then handed it to Lyze. "I will be in the far room for a moment. Lyze shall be your guide for the time being." She headed to the back of the ship, and called over her shoulder, "Take care that you do not let Emma persuade you to travel elsewhere than Hanasekai! I need my sword fixed far more than she needs to see Johnny Depp."
The real-worlders all glanced over at Emma. "What's that supposed to mean?" Jake asked.
Emma just grunted as the Valefor passed a world that resembled a large, colonial ship. "Put a sock in it."
"Myeh."
… … …
"What were you doing back there, Silke?" Jake asked as he and the rest of Juu Senshi walked down the platform towards the surface of Hanasekai.
Silke glared at the little boy, then extended her hands. Both of her wrists now bore dark pink, metallic armlets with a Japanese character engraved in them. "I was given these when I was sixteen years old, along with my sword. They mark me as an adult. I did not want to be reminded of my home, so I have not worn them in the ten years that I have been away. I will have to don them again, however, if I am to make a good impression."
Bernie smiled. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Silke. After all, this is your home!"
"I abandoned this place," Silke murmured. "Therefore, Hanasekai is no longer my home." She looked sorrowfully at the pagoda-filled forest that laid ahead. "You may explore the town if you wish, but I must find…someone." Brushing the lush grass with the bottom of her kimono, she walked away.
The Senshi just glanced at each other, then shrugged. "Let's see if we can knock some truth outta someone here," Robin suggested. "Ten years or not, someone here's gotta know Lil' Miss Bushido. YO!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. "DO ANY A' YA KNOW SOME CHICK NAMED SILKE SAKURA?" The birds' chirping and the insects' buzzing suddenly stopped. Robin looked around and blinked. "Did I say somethin' wrong?"
"Nobody has spoken that name in a long time, young miss," a creaky voice replied. An old woman hobbled out from inside a white pagoda nearby, clutching a polished cane for support. "How do you know little Silke?"
Robin tapped her foot on the ground. "She ain't little no more, lady. My name's Robin Fuudo, an' I'm part a' the Juu Senshi," she announced, gesturing to her allies.
The old woman bowed her head. "My name is Hokori Ayame. You may call me Ayame-oya. Pleasure to meet you."
Robin nodded briefly. "Well, y'see…Ayame-oya…" she forced out. "…Silke Sakura's been accompanyin' us fer a few days, an' she broke her sword." Ayame-oya's eyes widened. "Yeah, so we decided ta drag her here by her ankles ta get it fixed. She got all ticked 'cause she was nervous 'bout comin' back. D'you have any idea why?"
Ayame-oya sighed and massaged her forehead. "Even as a child, Silke wanted strength. Eventually, she went a little too far, became very upset, and left."
"That's not helpin' much, Ayame-san."
"Well, would to like to hear the whole story?"
Emma laughed a little. "We've heard tons of stories about the past in the last week…one more couldn't hurt."
Sora nodded. "Let's have it!"
… … …
There are not many people living in Hanasekai; there are only a handful of families. Five families are considered very prestigious; the Ayame family, the Sakura family, the Bara family, the Sumire family, and the Hinagiku family.
Each family is renowned for some sort of contribution. The Hinagikus are excellent farmers, growing enough food for everyone, and doing a good job of it. The Sumires have keen minds, and are excellent inventors. The Baras are healers, and can relieve anything from a cold to a lethal wound. The Sakuras are blacksmiths. Yes, blacksmiths. Others complain that they cannot be suited for the job, due to their delicate appearances, but they can repair anything, and make exquisite weapons that must be seen to be believed. As for us Ayames, we are warriors. Samurai, for the most part. Forgive me if this seems like bragging, but our power is unmatched…except for by little Silke.
Silke was never much of a blacksmith. She wanted to wield swords, not just make them. Around the time of her eleventh birthday, she was sent to deliver some new swords to the Ayame Pagoda. My grandson, Koten, was only twenty-one years old at the time, but he was already the pride of the Ayame family. He was practicing outside of our home when he first met little Silke.
"Excuse me?" Silke stopped a few yards away, not wanting to get slashed. "Excuse me, I have something for the Ayames!"
Koten turned around. "Hmm? Oh, you're the Sakuras' daughter! Did you bring the swords?" Silke nodded eagerly and handed him a satin knapsack. He looked through it, grinning. "The craftsmanship is superb," he noted. "Much better than what we order by Gummi ship. So, how much is the set?"
Silke focused on the ground, trying to remember her parents' earlier instructions about the delivery. "Um…50,000 takara for the whole bag," she announced.
"Only 50,000? Well, it seems a shame that beauties like these should go so cheaply, but I am not one to refuse such a deal. Still…" Koten took some large, golden coins out of a bag, as well as some smaller ones. "…I will give you a few extra, for yourself. Think of it as a tip." He winked, then chuckled and went into the pagoda. Silke stared at the money in her hand, then back at the retreating Koten.
… … …
"Mother! Father! I sold the swords to the Ayames!" Silke called, walking into the Sakura Pagoda. A thick stream of smoke came out of the nearest room. "Where should I put the takara?"
A tall woman who looked almost identical to Silke, but much older, walked out of the smoke, waving it away. "Just hand it to me, dear." Silke held out the large coins, keeping the smaller ones in her fist. "Thank you. Now, if you could…hmm?" Sakura-oya craned her head to look at her daughter's fist. "What do you have there, dear?"
Silke shyly opened her hand, showing Sakura-oya the smaller coins. "It…was a tip. From…from Koten Ayame."
"Oh? Well, you must have been a very good delivery girl," Sakura-oya cooed patronizingly. "What are you going to do with the takara?"
"I want to buy a sword."
Sakura-oya blinked. "You do? Why?"
Silke scratched her head, then replied in a quiet voice, "I want to be a swordsman…er, woman. Swordswoman."
Her mother took the coins, studying them. "I am sorry, dear, but you only have 500 takara here. The cheapest sword we have is 10,000 takara."
"I will make any deliveries you need made! I promise! If I get tipped additionally, that takara will go to you, too! I will make deliveries until I have paid off the remaining takara!" Silke insisted passionately. "I want to be a swordswoman, and I want Koten Ayame to teach me!"
Sakura-oya bit her lip. "Well, you always seemed to like playing with swords more than making them…all right." Silke grinned. "Pay off your debt, and we shall see about making Koten your teacher."
… … …
Approximately a month later, Silke turned eleven years old. Now, Hanasekaian parties are nowhere near the type I have heard of in other worlds. It is merely the giving of gifts. No enormous cakes, no clowns. Silke ran over to my grandson and I as we came to pay our respects. "Ayame-oya! Koten!"
Koten shook his finger at her. "Now, now, you should show more respect to your elders! Address me as Ayame-sensei!" he scolded playfully.
Silke stared. "Pardon me?"
"I said you are to call me Ayame-sensei from now on, little Silke."
She turned around and stared at her parents instead. Sakura-dono laughed heartily. "Happy birthday, Silke! We have decided that as a present, we should give you the last 2,000 takara you owe us. So…" He extended a black, leather sheath with various flower designs embroidered on. "…we made you your own sword! And Koten has graciously agreed to be your teacher."
"You'll be a swordswoman after all!" Sakura-oya patted her daughter's head.
Koten grinned. "We start classes tomorrow."
Silke gently picked up the sheath, and tied the strap around her waist. "Thank you, Mother. Father." She bowed to Koten. "And you, Ayame-sensei."
… … …
Little Silke was an excellent student. Eventually, she could beat every Ayame who challenged her, except for me, for I am, and was, far too old to battle. Also, Koten remained more skilled than his student. Silke fought him once a week, but always failed. The gap between the two, however, lessened every time.
On Hanasekai, we have a ceremony for the coming of age. Every child undergoes it on their sixteenth birthday. They must complete a test, depending on which family they come from. A Hinagiku would have to grow some sort of plant. A Sumire would have to build something. A Bara would have to heal an animal from the brink of death. Normally, a Sakura would have to create a sword, but Silke, like an Ayame child, had to beat her teacher in a duel. She had five minutes to disable Koten, not kill, but disable; her objective was to render him defenseless by taking his sword, or at least forcing him to drop it.
Silke took the test on the afternoon of her birthday. Her parents and I were stationed outside of the Ayame Pagoda, acting as judges. I was in charge of the prize, a set of pink armlets with the character for 'sakura' on them. They were the emblems of maturity, for only those who pass are allowed to wear them.
Koten and Silke stood in the arena, a platform made out of white marble. Koten wielded one of the swords Silke had brought him almost five years before, a jagged blade. Silke herself wielded her trademark sword, with glass cherry blossoms decorating the hilt. Koten bowed. "Kentou," he murmured, the traditional sign of respect for starting battles.
Silke also bowed. "Kentou."
I cleared my throat, then called, "Begin!"
Silke lunged forward before Koten had even taken a step; she had obviously been practicing long and hard for this test. She swung her sword, and Koten lost his grip a bit, but kept his sword in his hand. "HYAH!" She thrust her sword near his head, not close enough to harm him, but enough to distract him, at least temporarily. Koten instinctively ducked his head, then came up to block Silke's next move. "Ugh!"
"You need to do better than that to defeat me!" Koten taunted.
Silke continued to wave her sword around, and Koten continued to duck. "One minute remaining!" I called.
Nobody knows what came over Silke next. She grew furious, all of a sudden, and slashed madly at the air. Koten dove to the ground to evade her. "What are you doing?" he demanded. Silke did not respond. She continued her frenzied swings. Groaning, Koten swerved around the sword's path, then stood up. Silke saw him out of the corner of her eye, and thrust her sword again.
The Sakuras and I gasped. An ounce of blood dripped onto the marble platform; Silke's sword had pierced the skin of Koten's shoulder, and Koten grew limp, falling like a sack of potatoes. He dropped his sword. "KOTEN!" I cried. I, too, dropped what I was holding, the armlets.
Silke stared at her teacher in horror. Almost automatically, she jumped off the platform, then took advantage of everyone else's shock to snatch the armlets up, and run for the Gummi ship dock. "SILKE!" Sakura-dono yelled. "SILKE SAKURA, YOU COME BACK HERE!"
"No!" She swung her sword again, but thankfully, it did not hit any of us. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she resumed her mad dash.
… … …
The Juu Senshi stared. "Why would she do that?" Emma asked.
Ayame-oya sighed, and massaged her forehead again. "Nobody has a clue. We have never so much as thought of the incident since its occurrence, much less analyze it."
"Because children were not allowed to work for Guardian," a smooth voice said from behind them. Everyone turned around to look at Silke. She looked depressed. "And unless I could defeat Ayame-sensei, I was to remain a child."
Goofy scratched his head. "Gawrsh, Guardian existed ten years ago?"
Silke nodded. "He is the ultimate evil. Even though Ansem did not become evil until but two years ago, Guardian existed long before then. And even though I was in the process of becoming an adult, I foolishly and childishly became infatuated with Guardian's promises of power." She focused on the ground. "When I left Hanasekai a decade ago, I could not find him, and he made no attempt to find me. I hid myself in Hollow Bastion for eight years, until Guardian sought out Ansem, and found me in addition." With a light sigh, she looked back up. "That is why I did what I did a decade ago. It is a petty reason, but it is the one I have."
Ayame-oya smiled. "But you have improved your ways, Silke. These fine people say that you are involved in their quest to purge their world of the darkness."
"I am," Silke replied. "But I spoke to my parents, and they would be pleased if I was to settle back here. Ayame-sensei agrees."
"But-" Jake started.
Silke glared at him. "No, I did not kill Ayame-sensei. I merely gave him a gash. One cannot die from so shallow a wound. In the shoulder, no less."
"What I was going to say…" Jake continued, "…is that we don't want you to stay here. We want you to stay with us."
The ex-Daimyo looked wildly back and forth between Jake and the rest of the Senshi. "Are you jesting? Surely he cannot be speaking on behalf of everyone!"
Robin crossed her arms. "I'm not gonna lie ta ya, Sakura. Yer a valuable part 'a our team. And ya've improved more'n Ayame-oya thinks. Ya tried ta kill Sora. Tried ta kill us all. Now, yer helpin' us. Sure, it may've started 'cause ya said that the enemy of yer enemy, Taylor, is yer friend, but…Jake's right. We wantcha ta stay."
"Please, Silke?" Kairi clasped her hands together. "At least until Taylor, Eclipse, and the United States are safe?"
Silke remained with her look of utter confusion. "You must be toying with me!"
"Like Bernie said, we just want you to stay a Senshi no Meiyo until everything's back to normal," Riku reiterated. "Then you can live on Hanasekai again."
For once, Silke had the aura of a scared kitten, glancing at Ayame-oya for aid. "I think you should stay with the Juu Senshi," she decided. "You may return once your task has been completed."
Silke bowed awkwardly. "Very well, Ayame-oya. I shall return."
"Guys!" Bernie called, holding a dead dandelion. "Look what I found!"
Donald scratched his head. "It's a dead dandelion."
"Yes!"
"What's the point?"
"She can find Eclipse and Coeur with the seeds!" Axel explained.
"Or Taylor," Sadym added.
Bernie nodded, and pulled off a clump. "Dia, hand me your travel map." Dia took a folded paper out of her jacket pocket, and placed it in Bernie's outstretched hand. She opened it, and put it on the ground. "Wherever the seed lands will tell where Eclipse is." She let the clump go. Most of the seeds fell to the ground abruptly, but four seeds started glowing. A silver one settled on Florida. The orange, black, and red ones landed on Arizona. "Well, we have two destination choices. What do you guys propose?"
"Well, which seeds are which?" Lyze asked.
The seer shrugged. "Let me check." She put her index finger on the silver one. "That's Taylor." Next, she put her finger on the black one. "Eclipse." Next, the orange one. "Coeur." Finally, the red one. Bernie raised an eyebrow. "Um…I don't recognize this person. Who's Alissa Baecker?"
Everyone stared at Emma, who was paralyzed. The only part of her that moved was her mouth, warbling a single word, one she hadn't spoken in quite a while: "Mommy?"
… … …
"Where's Taylor?" Alissa demanded. She was on the floor of what looked like a cave, in shackles. "Let me go, I have to find Taylor!"
Eclipse scoffed. "Shogun Quinn is halfway across the country."
Alissa stopped struggling for a moment. "Shogun?"
"Yes, that's his name. And I suggest you call him as such."
"What are you talking about? And why are you keeping me here?"
The Nekoshu groaned. "You ask too many questions. Shogun Quinn is the leader of Rei no Aku, along with Guardian."
"And I suppose you work for this Rei no Aku?"
"Yes. I am Magic Daimyo Eclipse Kurosato, as well as your jailer for the time being."
Alissa jerked her head towards the shadowy corner. "And I suppose she's your coworker? Or is she just hanging around for fun?" she asked sarcastically.
A woman with short, spiked black hair walked out of the darkness. Her face was pale, and her eyes were cloudy. Her movements were jerky, as if she were a life-sized puppet. "I am Sword Daimyo Hart Kurosato," she murmured dazedly.
… … … … … … … … …
FG: That was Chapter 23! (wipes her mouth) Sorry if you guys didn't like the last flashback…I was in a bit of a hurry. At least you guys don't have to sit through any more history lessons. From now on, the story will be focused on getting to Disney World.
Emma: Plus… (also wipes her mouth) …Mom's back!
Bernie: Coeur's back! I mean, Hart's back!
SSAHC: Baby got back!
Everyone else: (stares blankly)
SSAHC: You know…the rap song?
Sir Mix-a-Lot: Yo, I like big butts and I cannot lie! You other brothers can't deny!
FG: That was…weird. Just so you guys know, CC2 is nearing an end. CC3 won't be online until I beat Kingdom Hearts II. FG out, yo.