Disclaimor: I don't own KH2 or FFX. If I did, Axel wouldn't die, and Auron would be alive! I only own Rachel, my character.
Chapter Two
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because when I came to, I was curled up on a seat in the train, using my arm as a pillow. I still had my eyes closed, and I was planning on keeping it that way! I was tired, my body was sore, and I was feeling a little cranky. Most of all, I let myself down. You see, I kept thinking to myself that this was all a dream, and that I would wake up sooner or later. But here I was, on the train still.
You know how sometimes you're like half asleep, half awake? That's where I was now. I was only aware of my surroundings a little bit, and sleep was winning out. Of course, I shoulda known better then to let myself fall asleep again. I felt hands grab my shoulders, shaking my lightly.
"Rachel, wake up! The train stopped." I forced my eyes open, looking up groggily at Goofy, who had woken me up.
"Ugh... Ok, I'm up." I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Goofy laughed at me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me to my feet. I let myself be dragged from the train and saw Sora and Donald were already outside. They must have told Goofy to wake me up.
I looked up towards the askew tower, noting how much taller it seemed in real life then the game. Wow, much taller then in the game! I noticed a large person in front of the tower doors. I knew instantly it was Pete. Blaaah, stupid, fat lard... I turned to look behind me, seeing the train disappear before my very eyes.
"Ah shoot. Man, there goes our ride!" I pouted angrily where the train once stood, but I knew it was no use crying over spilled milk. So, time to get some items, and talk to Donald and Goofy before we go and confront Pete!
I walked over to Donald. "So, uh... Any idea where we are?"
"Well... We got on the train and came like the King told us to do. I'm not sure where this place is, but there's something strange about it." Donald said, looking around nervously.
"Guess we just need to explore and find out I suppose..." I walked away from Donald after saying this, to go talk to Goofy. Before I could say anything though, he did instead!
"Someone's at the entrance of the building. Adventure rule # 17: Collect Information!" I blinked, and stared at Goofy.
"Uhhh, ok... I'll do just that!" I grinned at Goofy, before running off to grab an item or two. I only got a chance to open two chests, and all they had was a Potion and Hi-Potion. The other chest was opened, so Sora must have grabbed it already. I stored the Hi-Potion in my pocket, before walking over and handing the Potion off to Sora.
"Thank's Rachel! So, any idea what this place is?" Sora gladly accepted the Potion and stored it away.
"Kinda reminds me of a Sorcerers tower, but that's all I can really say. Hey, how about we talk to that large chap by the doors? Maybe he knows what this place is!" I only hinted at who was living in the tower. A little hint now and then won't ruin the story... Will it? Besides, if I want the story to move along, we got to talk to Pete. So, all of us walked to the steps of the tower, pausing at the bottom.
"What's goin' on?" Donald asked, looking pretty curious. Pete chuckled underneath his breath.
"I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say. Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer." I glanced over at Sora, realizing he was staring at me. Hmm, maybe the sorcerer hint was not a good idea after all.
Pete continued on talking. "Which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is—once he's a Heartless, he'll do what I say." Everyone jumped in surprise, well, besides me, but I acted surprise.
"A Heartless?" Donald looked pretty ticked off, and even a bit surprised. Guess they all thought they got rid of the Heartless for good. Wrong-o! Anyway, I got into a fighting stance and placed my hand on the hilt of my sword, ready to draw it out at any time.
"That's right. They're those things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts. Why, with all those heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!" Pete still had his backed turned to us the entire time, so he had no bloody idea who he was talking too. It's also kind of funny that he thought Maleficent was still alive. Sora, Donald, Goofy and I looked at each other before looking back at Pete.
"And since I got me a debt to pay, I'm goin' 'round to a bunch of different worlds and buildin' an army of Heartless, special for her." He must have realized he was blabbing his entire plan to us at that point, because the conversation changed. "Why am I talkin' to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is." I huffed, glaring at Pete's back. We're not pipsqueaks! Jerk... He'll get his someday.
"You oughta find somethin' nicer to do." Goofy stated. So then Pete turned around to look at us.
"Says who?" Suddenly, a look of surprise crossed his face. "Wha...AAAH! It's you!" Yep, he recognized Donald and Goofy, of course, the two of them also recognized him.
"Pete!"
"What are you two nimrods doin' here!" Pete pointed at them with an accusing look on his face.
"What are YOU doing here?" Donald glared at Pete, the look on Donald's face was absolutely priceless, and I almost cracked up.
"You know him?" Sora asked, looking over at Goofy for confirmation. Goofy nodded towards Sora, a grim look on his face.
"We sure do! Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped." Pete looked like he was shaking with rage, but then he suddenly started laughing, which caused me to jump back. Eek! His laugh was so creepy and stupid it made me want to die.
"You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how!"
"Hmm, seems like that witch is always causing some sort of trouble..." I stated softly, but Pete either didn't hear me or ignored me, so he continued on with his rant.
"And now your world—no, no, no, all the worlds—are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!"
"Maleficent...huh." Sora started, looking at Donald, Goofy, and myself. All of them started laughing at once, and I started laughing myself. Haha, gosh, Pete was dense, wasn't he?
"What are you laughing at!" Pete glared at us, looking positively fumed. "Why, Maleficent's power is so great—"
"She's toast." Sora said, grinning slightly. A loud 'HUH' came from Pete, and he just kinda stared at us.
"Sorry, Maleficent can't help ya now." Goofy said after he finished laughing.
"Whaddaya mean!" asked Pete, looking really confused, and almost, I dunno, fearful. Donald snickered, and Pete looked really ticked off. "You! So you're the ones that did it!"
"Yep! These three right here-" I gestured towards Sora and the others. "These three creamed her, a loooong time ago. So she's not around anymore! Sorry, looks like you're out of a job!" I grinned widely towards Pete, and he suddenly growled.
"Heartless Squad! Round up!" Uh-oh, I think I made Pete mad. Ooops. My bad! Suddenly, Heartless appeared from the ground, so everyone pulled out their weapons. I drew my sword out and got into a balanced stance. My first fight against Heartless, joy. But I know if I'm traveling with these guys, I'm going to be fighting all the time.
With that, I lunged forward and started slashing and hacking at the Heartless. This fight was probably going to be easier then the battle against the Nobodies, so that was good.
My swings were still off and awkward, and I stumbled a few times during the fight. The fight didn't last long with the four of us; we destroyed the Heartless pretty fast! I didn't make it out of the battle unscathed, though. I had a few claw marks on my legs, my jeans were ripped and my shirt torn a little from trying to dodge a Heartless. I'll need more suitable clothes, that's for sure.
Pete growled and stomped his foot. "You just wait! Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the mighty Pete!"
"Phhhft, 'mighty'?" I leaned over, laughing at Pete. Haha, mighty Pete? Really, the only thing that is mighty about him is his weight!
"Grrr, who asked you, girly! Why I outta—huh?" Pete stopped what he was saying and stared at my forehead. "Eh? That mark, I'm sure I've seen it before..." Uh-oh, Pete recognized this mark? Greeeeeat, if he tells Maleficent about me, I'll have two different groups of bad guys after me! I just love my life, don't you?
"So, 'mighty' Pete, who lives in this tower anyway?" Sora, at that moment, I could've kissed you for interrupting Pete's train of thought. He might forget about the mark altogether, and not tell Maleficent! It seemed to work, cause Pete started to chuckle.
"Oh, ya don't know, eh? Well, it's old Yen Sid. 'Course, he's probably a Heartless by now!" Pete looked pretty proud of himself for knowing something we didn't. Donald looked stared at Pete with shock.
"Master Yin Sid lives here!" Donald took off towards the tower, pushing the already partially open door so he could get through.
"Hey, Donald, wait up!" I ran after Donald, I didn't want him to be alone. What if things changed and there was Heartless right there as he entered! He may be a great magician, but even he will need help! Sora and Goofy didn't stay outside long and followed us inside. Haha, I almost felt sorry for Pete, we just up and left him.
I looked around the room and noticed a few more chests here. Quickly opening them I got some items we may need. An Ether for Donald and another Mythril Shard that could come in handy. Handing the Ether and the Shard to Donald I searched my pocket for the Hi-Potion. My leg was really throbbing from the stupid claw marks that the Heartless gave me.
I quickly sat down and opened the bottle, pouring some of the contents on my fingers and spreading it on the marks. The liquid felt cool against my skin, and brought much needed relief from the pain. Right before my eyes, the wounds closed up and fading away, leaving newly healed skin. Since I didn't use up all of the Hi-Potion I corked it back up and placed it in my pocket. Again, I noticed there was no save point.
The beginning I wouldn't have cared, but what about later on? The boss battles will be getting harder, even though in the game I only died in the game a grand total of three times, this journey will be dangerous. I didn't have any further time to think because I noticed Sora and the other two run up the stairs.
"Gaaah, wait up!" I quickly ran up the stairs after them, not wanting to be left behind, not even for a moment. I ran through the bluish glowing portal after them, and we ended up on another spiraling stair case. Yay, stairs. And we have to fight on them, too!
"Uhh, just a suggestion you three, but you better get your weapons out. Pete said he sent Heartless in here, so it's best to be prepared." I already had drawn my sword out, knowing that we will be attacked.
"Good idea, Rachel." Sora nodded to me and got his keyblade out, Donald and Goofy brought their weapons out too. As we started our run up the stairs, we were attacked by a few Heartless. Just four of them were there, so each of us took on a Heartless. After slashing the Heartless a few times I sent it flying at my last swing and it disappeared. Cool, I killed it! I did a little victory dance, which caused Goofy, Donald, and Sora to laugh at me.
I grinned widely and headed up the stairs, the others following behind. I came up to a blue door and I pushed it open, stepping inside. We barely got inside before a bunch of Heartless appeared, and I noticed the door we needed to go through had a shield from preventing us going further. So, we need to kill the Heartless to pass!
So, after fighting a few waves of Heartless, we finally defeated them all, and the shield faded away. Sora was limping a little, a Heartless got him in the leg, so I pulled out the potion I had and applied it to his leg. He grinned gratefully, and helped apply the rest of the potion on a gash on Donald's arm. I got a few scratches and bruises, but none of them needed medical attention, so we continued on.
Another staircase, more Heartless appeared, and we fought them until we destroyed them all. It was getting to be a pattern. Go somewhere, get attacked by Heartless, and destroy them. Oh look! Another door! We're almost there! I grinned and pushed the door open and went flying inside, the three stooges behind me. Another room of Heartless. Attack, destroy, barrier fades.
The battles were getting a little easier for us to handle, little by little. I became a little better with my sword and being more aware of my surroundings. Sora was improving on his speed, Donald was aiming better with his spells (He hit me once with his Thunder spell. Boy, did that hurt!), and Goofy was hitting harder with his shield.
"Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Thing's haven't changed one bit!" Donald complained after we finished clearing out the second room, and he was fuming.
"Well, it's a good thing we're on the job, then!" Goofy said, nodding his head.
"So the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora asked, looking slightly depressed. He tried to perk up a bit, and he turned to me. "You're getting pretty good at fighting! Soon, you'll be as good as me!"
I laughed and grinned widely. I'm glad he noticed I was getting better, made me feel good about my skills. "Thanks Sora, but I doubt I'll be as good as you. After all, you've been fighting Heartless longer then I have!"
"Aw, don't worry, you'll gain more experience soon enough, Rachel!" I smiled at Donald. He wasn't so bad after all.
"Thanks." With a grin I turned to the new door and pushed it open. After stepping out, I looked up; smiling when I realized this was the last staircase. Finally! Just another battle and we'll be at Yen Sid's! Then I can ask him about this Chosen One stuff and if I can go home. We ran up the steps and were attacked by the final group of Heartless, and we quickly took care of them.
Nervously, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. After Donald and Goofy entered the immediately ran over to where Yen Sid was sitting and both stood up straighter. I glanced at Sora as we headed over to stand by Goofy and Donald. Goofy and Donald bowed really low, and Sora stared at them with confusion, and then looked at me. I simply shrugged.
Sora and I finally noticed Yen Sid sitting there. He looked a little bit older then in the game, but not that much. He was still in blue wizard robes, so nothing really had changed. Yen Sid nodded towards Donald and Goofy.
"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!" Donald said, his voice low and his head bowed. What's so great about this old geezer anyways that made them bow like that?
"Hey there!" Sora said, raising his hand in greeting. Donald and Goofy looked up at him and to me.
"Sora, Rachel! Show some respect!" Uhh... Why should I? He didn't seem to care at all that we weren't bowing, or he'd fry us on the spot.
Yen Sid gestured with his hand to calm Donald down before turning to look at Sora and I. Eeek, maybe we did make him mad? "So, you are Sora and Rachel. Now then, have you seen the King yet?"
"Yes we did, Master. But we didn't get a chance to talk to him." Goofy answered Yen Sid in a very polite tone, trying to show him respect.
"Yes...the King has been quite busy of late." Uh, no duh, Yen Sid. He's a King, he's probably always busy! "Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders." Uh, wait, did he say four? Didn't he mean three? Darn it, am I stuck here! I want to go home! Grrrr...
Yen Sid continued his talk, despite my inner protesting. "You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared."
"You mean...we have to go on another quest?" Questioned Sora. "I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands." Sorry, Sora, that won't be happening for a long time. Poor guy, he hasn't seem his home in a long time. And here I am complaining about not going home, when I've only been away from home for a few hours!
"Yes. I know. However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands... Whether you return alone or with your friend... And, whether or not the islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all is you, Sora." Wow, Yen Sid likes to talk a lot, or maybe he was really trying to pass wisdom through all of that chit-chat.
"I'm...the key?" Sora gestured himself, and then held his hand out, the Keyblade appearing in his hand.
"Chosen wielder of the Keyblade! You are the key that will open the door to light." Sora nodded towards Yen Sid, and then Yen Sid turned to look at me. Eeek! "And of course, we must not forget the Chosen One, the one that will help you open the door to the light, and seal away darkness forever!" Oh joy, no pressure there. I guess... I won't be going home for a while, either. So, I nodded towards Yen Sid, understanding that, believe it or not, I have a job to do.
Yen Sid looked at all of us with a calculating expression, Donald and Goofy stood straighter. Suddenly, Yen Sid made a gesture with his hand, and a book appeared. "This book contains valuable knowledge you will need for your journey. Study it carefully." The book rested on the desk in front of Sora.
Yen Sid smiled slightly. "Once you have finished, we will speak of the enemies you will surely confront." I really didn't want to read the book, but I know it would be disrespectful if I didn't, so, Sora picked up the book and I walked over to him, intending to read over his shoulder. He and I both agreed we would read it.
To me, it was a bunch of mumbo jumbo, a bunch of riddles and advice. Again, I didn't really see the point, and I don't think Sora did either. After we finished, Sora decided to ask Yen Sid a few questions.
"But wait a sec—how come the Heartless are still running around?" Sora asked, Donald and Goofy nodded, they were also wondering about that. I already knew, but I didn't say anything.
"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that." Yen Sid started to explain to the three. "However, the Heartless are darkness made real—and darkness yet lingers in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while the darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them." Sora, Donald, and Goofy slumped forward in defeat. It all really did seem hopeless to them.
"Gosh, then that must mean if everyone's heart was full of light, them Heartless'd go away!" Goofy started, but I frowned softly. The other two seemed to agree with him, but I had to say something.
"That's impossible for even a single heart to be just full of light. The brighter the light in someone's heart, the deeper the darkness. Will hearts ever attain such a purity?" I asked them, and all of them turned and gave me an upset look. "Hey, don't tell me you guys weren't thinking that. It has got to have crossed your mind at some point."
Yen Sid nodded in my direction, and I felt a little proud of myself. Even Yen Sid had to admit I had a point. Hah! "Rachel does have a point. But if you open the door to the light, the Heartless will fade away." Heeeey, how did he know my name! I swear, that's getting pretty annoying. Will I ever find out?
"Now it is time to speak of the enemies that you will encounter." Yen Sid threw his arm in a direction, and a white light appeared, and suddenly, Donald's look alike appeared, but just an illusion. Haha! Donald squawked in protest, but the illusion of Donald faded and a Heartless appeared.
"If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless." Ah, I guess that is a good point, and good thing to know. "But you know this." All of us nodded in agreement.
"The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts. Never let your guard down! Now then..." He waved his hand again, and a Dusk appeared. Evil things, I hate them. I must have been glaring at it, since Yen Sid chuckled at me. "Ah, I see you already encountered this enemy before you even met Sora and the others." I nodded slightly, then his face turned grim and he turned to the others.
"At times, if someone with a strong heart and will—be they evil or good—becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own." The Heartless illusion vanished, leaving the Dusk behind. "An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away... A spirit that goes on even as its body fades away from existence—for you see-"
"Nobodies do not truly exist at all." I finished for Yen Sid, and Donald looked at me with anger, thinking I disrespected Yen Sid. I made a face at Donald.
"Correct. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse—they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived!" Yen Sid finished gravely.
"Nobodies..." Sora started. "They don't exist..." I think he must have pitied them for that moment, wondering how it would be like to live like that. Suddenly another flash of light came from beside Sora, and all of us jumped, including myself. Three Dusks appeared from that light.
"Now then...the being you see before you is known as a Dusk." Yep, already knew that, Yen Sid, but I'll just be quiet about it. "They are the most common form of Nobody. But there are others—some larger, some with frightening and unique powers." Again, knew that, so I wasn't even surprised. Kinda sucks knowing everything that was going to be said and happen. The Dusks also disappeared.
"Be vigilant! On your journey, you will meet an alarming number of Dusks. They will all attempt to do you harm. Still, they are nothing but empty shells, destined to return to darkness. But—" He threw his hand out, and another illusion appeared, with three Organization XIII members. Grrr, stupid jerks, met one already.
"The beings you see before you are different. You have already met one, Rachel, so you know of what I speak." Daaah, how did he know I was almost kidnapped! Stupid all knowing sorcerer... I nodded towards him, and Sora looked at me with a questioning gaze and looked like he wanted to say something, but Yen Sid continued his explanation.
"These are powerful Nobodies have formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies. While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner. They can think and plan. And it seems they are working together towards a goal."
Yen Sid paused in his speech. "What that goal is, we do not know. But it seems to involve the Chosen One, and they will stop at nothing to kidnap her and use her for whatever they plan." I cringed, and for the first time in a while, I was really scared. Goofy patted my shoulder gently.
"Don't worry, Rachel, we'll protect you!" Goofy stated, smiling widely. I smiled and nodded towards him, before looking back at Yen Sid, waiting for him to continue his speech.
"The King sensed the danger, and journeyed forth to fight it. He found the dark realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door. Now he's traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless as he seeks the answer to the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII." With that, the illusions vanished, and ended Yen Sid's speech. Yay, he's finally done! Sheesh...
"Then I guess we better go find the King first!" Stated Sora, looking at all of us.
"But where could he be?" Donald asked, and crossed his arms over his chest in a pondering stance.
"Well, we won't know 'till we look." I nodded towards Goofy, agreeing with him.
"Yeah. And the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the realm of darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem." You won't find Riku for a very long time, Sora. Man, I wish I could tell you that, but I know I can't. Darn it, this sucks.
"So, before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes. Those look too small for you, Sora." He turned to look at me, nodding in my direction. "And those clothes will offer you no protection while you are fighting Heartless and Nobodies." Bah, I hate to say it, but he does have a point.
"Through there, you'll find three good fairies. If you ask, they'll create appropriate garments for the both of you." As long as they don't put me in a dress or skirt, fine, I'll wear the clothes they make.
"Gawrsh Sora, you sure are growing fast." Stated Goofy, and Donald snickered at Sora. I grinned a little, nudging Sora playfully. He grumbled softly, but smiled sheepishly. So, Sora, Donald, and Goofy made their way through the door to talk to the fairies. I was about to follow them but...
"Hold. I must speak with you." Yen Sid held up his hand, and gestured for me to come back over to him. Drat, so close to escaping! With a heavy sigh I walked back over to Yen Sid and stood in front of his desk.
"I know you seek many answers, but the answers I can offer are few." Yen Sid started gravely, which caused my shoulders to slump forward. "Go ahead and ask your questions, but know I won't be able to answer them all."
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest, thinking. What should I ask him? Well, I guess I better ask about this Chosen One stuff.
"Well, can you tell me more about this... Chosen One stuff? Donald wasn't very specific about it. All I know is I'm supposed to help Sora seal darkness away forever, and help him open the door to the light. But how can I do this?" I asked him, hoping he will be able to answer my question.
"This is one question I cannot answer." My shoulders slumped with defeat. "Because I do not know the answer myself. However, many years ago I was entrusted to keep a very special book for you, Chosen One." He waved his hand, and a very old, thick book appeared on the desk.
"There is a magical enchantment placed on the book, so no one, but the Chosen One can open it." I perked up immediately; maybe this book can answer my questions. I eagerly picked the book up and opened it, but I was met by white pages. What the...?
"But—as you can see, the pages are blank. It is because the book can sense if you're ready to read what is written in it, or not. The pages will fill, gradually, be sure to check the book for new information whenever you can." I nodded to him; a little mad I couldn't find out more about this... Chosen One stuff right now, but it's a start, right?
"I have a gift for you." A gift, for me? Awww, you shouldn't have Yen Sid! He waved his hand again, and a blue backpack appeared. After seeing the puzzled look on my face, he chuckled at my confusion. "This bag can hold an unlimited amount of items. Also, a few things from your world are in that bag."
I immediately perked up; taking the bag that was suspended in the air and opened it, peering inside. I gasped sharply. Inside, it was like a swirling blue vortex, with various items floating around. Reaching my hand in, I pulled out my MP3 player. Hell yeah! I won't die from boredom, sweet! Place it back in the bag I searched around again.
I pulled out what appeared to be... Oh god, it's my photo album! I opened it and was met with pictures of my Grandparent's. My eyes started to tear up as I turned the pages, seeing more family, friends, and even pictures of my pets. I sniffled, rubbing my eyes and looking up at Yen Sid.
"Thank you..." He simply smiled and nodded in my direction. I placed the album back in the bag. I turned when I heard the door open, and saw Sora step back in the room.
I whistled. "Daaaang, nice clothes, Sora!" Was he blushing, or is it just me?
Yen Sid gestured for me to talk with the fairies. I nodded and ran past Sora and the other two to enter the room. The fairies (I forget their names) looked up in surprise.
"Ohh, I never thought I would see this day!" Exclaimed the fairy in pink as she reached over to gently tug on my arm and pulled me towards the others. Errr, what, to see me?
"How wonderful! You must be here to get new clothes, right?" The fairy in green asked, looking excited. Why was she so excited? All of them were acting a bit weird.
"Well, if you came for clothes, you came to the right place!" The blue exclaimed, then the three started to fight over who was going to design my clothes. Groaning softly, I slapped my forehead. They can never agree on anything!
"Why don't you all work on a design? You know, work together?" I asked them, gaining their attention. The three of them looked at each other and nodded. All three of them moved away and started to whisper to each other. Darn, I can't hear what they are saying. Probably talking about what designs and stuff.
"What are your favorite colors, dear?" The fairy in pink asked me. I blinked in surprise. Wow, they wanted to know my favorite colors? Well, I guess I could tell them.
"Purple, Blue, and Silver." I answered simply. She nodded towards me and they went back to talking. Aaaargh, this was going to take forever! After a few more minutes, they finally seemed to agree.
"Alright, hold still dear!" All of them waved their wands at the same time and lights shot out from them and hit me. A glowing light filled the room and temporarily blinded me. Huh, maybe I should have closed my eyes. I closed my eyes to ward off the rest of the bright lights.
"Oh wow, she looks absolutely wonderful in those clothes, don't you agree?" I was almost afraid to open my eyes, but I did and looked down at myself.
WOW! Oh... WOW! The first thing I noticed was I had black, leather chest piece armor on, and a blue/purple zip up T-shirt with a silver hood on it. (The black leather chest piece is like Auron's, and the shirt over it is like Yuffies.) The shirt and the armor weren't very long, so part of my stomach showed, but I didn't mind.
I noticed I had black shorts on, and they were pretty short, which would make it easier for me to move in when there was a battle. The sides of the shorts had swirls of purple and blue, and had a silver streak going through the colors. Awesome.
Next, my boots. My boots reached to the middle of my calf, and they were black. One side of each boot and either a blue or purple streak running down it, and the top of my shoes and bottom of my shoes were silver. I realized I looked kinda like Yuffie, just the colors were different.
"These clothes... Are so awesome! Thank you all, very much!" I swear if I smiled any wider, my face would have cracked, but I didn't care. I felt pretty darn cool in these clothes.
"Now these clothes aren't just any normal clothes." The pink fairy started, which made me jerk in surprise. What, my clothes are magical?
"They're magical. If you wanted different attire, all you have to simply do is think of what clothes you want, and they will change to whatever you wish. The colors will stay the same, I hope you don't mind." Wow, I was right about them being magical. Sooo if I wanted a coat, all I had to do was simply think what I wanted and it would appear? Cool!
"Oh thank you, I really appreciate this. I don't mind if the colors don't change, I like these colors a lot. Thank you!" I think I made them all very happy, because they were smiling at each other, very pleased with themselves.
"Now you better run along dear, we've already kept you longer then we should have." I nodded towards the green fairy, and I turned to reach for the doorknob, but...
I turned around again, nervously rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm going to give you some advice, so please, remember it for when the time comes. Beware of the crow, for it will bring back an old enemy from distant past." I noticed the odd looks they were giving me. Ok, so I attempted to sound like Yen Sid, but I'm really trying to give them good advice!
"Please be careful!" I bowed to them and left the room. The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was that Sora and the others were waiting for me, but no Yen Sid in sight!
"Uhm... Where did he go?" I asked Sora, a look of confusion on my face. He looked up at me, then his eyes widened with surprise.
"Wow, Rachel! Those clothes look great on you!" Sora exclaimed, catching Donald's and Goofy's attention. They chorused their agreements, which caused me to giggle.
"Thanks! So where did Master Yen Sid go?" I asked. Sora stood up and gestured to what appeared to be a hallway that lead out of the room, and there stood Master Yen Sid.
"He went over there, he asked for us to wait a bit until you came out, since you were taking so long." I huffed angrily at Sora.
"Not my fault! Hehe, they couldn't agree on what design of clothes they wanted for me." He then nodded in understanding, remembering he went through the same thing.
Yen Sid noticed I was done with the fairies, so he gestured us to join him. In the window, suddenly, the Gummi ship rose up from no where and filled the view of the window.
"Hey! It's the Gummi Ship!" Donald exclaimed enthusiastically, and Goofy jumped with joy. All of us ran over to join Yen Sid by the window. Now let me tell you, the Gummi Ship in real life was no means by small. It was LARGE! I grinned with excitement; I always wanted to fly in the Gummi Ship! This was going to be fun!
"So, you guys ready to go?" Sora turned and asked us. Heck, I dunno about the others, but I am ready! All of us stood at attention, even myself, stood up straight and at attention.
"Now, now, just a moment." All of us sagged forward, and I was grumbling under my breath. Grrr... Old geezer. "Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared."
"How do we get around?" Wow Donald, you sound so sullen and even Goofy looked upset.
"Do not fear. If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel." Argh, Yen Sid, can you stop blabbering and let us go? Sheesh! "These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I don't know...
"However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide. When a beam of light radiants from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts." Yen Sid finally ended his long speech.
"Our hearts are connected." Sora mumbled softly, but loud enough for all of us to hear. I always wondered if that really was true, but I have a feeling I'll find out!
"That is correct." Yen Sid nodded towards Sora.
"Got it!" Sora stated, with a small grin on his face. Can we go yet? I wanted to get going. Course, Yen Sid wasn't letting us go THAT easily.
"But be warned." Bah, what's with the warnings, Yen Sid? Gosh! "As you proceed... The Heartless and Nobodies will be using their own paths: Corridors of darkness, to travel from world to world.
They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds." I glared at the floor.
"That's not fair!" Donald and I exclaimed at the same time. Blinking, we looked at each other. Note to self: Stop doing that! I think Yen Sid found our antics amusing, because he smiled.
"Now then, that is all the information I can give to you. Go forth Sora, Rachel, Donald, and Goofy. Everyone is waiting."
"Okay, let's get going!" Sora nodded to us, grinning slightly. I think, deep inside, he was looking forward to this new adventure. Each of us snapped into attention.
"Master Yen Sid." Donald started, before Goofy interjected.
"We sure do appreciate the help." Goofy said, and each of us saluted Yen Sid, including myself, believe it or not. Sora turned and ran towards the door that will lead up to the Gummi Ship, Donald, Goofy, and I ran after him. Inside, my heart was doing flip-flops. I couldn't wait for our adventure!
As we boarded the ship, I knew Maleficent was going to resurrect really soon, but I brushed that off. And I thought the outside of the Gummi was huge, the inside was large too! Donald and the others showed me around the ship, and Donald gave me a room to where I can sleep in. It was pretty simple room, but it will do.
I got to meet Chip and Dale. I just HAD to hug the little guys! They were so cuuuuute! And funny too. Dale passed out when he saw my birthmark, and Chip was blabbering about a mile a minute. After saying goodbye to them we went up a level to enter the cockpit. There were four seats. Two were in the very front, and two were in the back a bit. I took the very front seat to the left, Sora took the right. The other two sat in back.
We looked at the map that had appeared on screen, and saw that there was only one path way, and only to one world.
"Only one?" Questioned Sora, before he leaned back in his chair.
"That's no good!" Donald mumbled, but we could hear him crystal clear. I knew another pathway would open up soon, so I didn't get down in the dumps.
"Wait! I think it's a world we know!" Goofy stated, leaning forward to get a better look.
"How long will it take us to get there, Donald?" I asked him, looking back to see him.
"Let's see..." He leaned forward to read the panel. "Hmmm... It will take us about 9 hours to get there." Everyone in the cockpit groaned and slumped forward, including myself. I guess it didn't take a few seconds or minutes to reach worlds, like in the game. It takes hours, even days!
"Well, can you set this thing on Autopilot?" I asked curiously. Maybe we can get some food and rest before we enter Hollow Bastion. I know for one thing, I was hungry, and really, really tired.
"Uh, yeah, I'll go ahead and set it now." Donald punched in a few things in the panel infront of him, and the Gummi Ship started to steer itself. Cool!
"Alright! Where is the kitchen on this ship! I'm starving!" I got up, placing a hand on my stomach, hearing it growl.
"You know, I'm pretty hungry too!" Goofy said before standing up. "Let's go, I'll show you where the kitchen is." He walked out of the cockpit and I followed him, the other two right behind me.
After being shown how the machines work and finally getting some food and drink, Sora suggested that everyone go to their respected rooms and get some rest. I totally agreed with Sora about this, I was really tired. So, each of us headed off to their rooms, I got lost once and finally found my room.
The door slid open and let me step inside before closing behind me. Groaning I set my bag down next to the bed, flopping back onto the bed. Wow, has it only been a day I've been to this weird dimension? Feels like it's been ages... I felt a little homesick; I missed my family, friends, and my pets.
I never thought I would be the type to get homesick so easily! I mean, I always wanted adventure, and I always wondered what it would be like if I were in Kingdom Hearts 2! So, here I am. Like I always wished. Guess the saying is true: be careful of what you wish for.
I mentally kicked myself for going into the woods today, but... Even if I didn't, it probably would have happened anyways, while I was at home. And Demyx would probably have threatened to hurt my Grandparent's if I didn't go with him. Jackass, next time I see him, I'm going to hurt him! I mean, sure, he's a cool guy and all, along with Axel, but still...
I need to stop thinking and go to bed. So, with that, I got up and grabbed my pack, looking inside it. Yep, there was some PJ's in there, so I pulled them out. I took my new clothes on and slipped the pajama's on, carefully folding the clothes and setting them on the dresser.
I set my katana besides my things before sliding underneath the covers. I wondered where that katana came from, I mean, it just appeared out of mid air. It was so weird... As quickly as that thought came to mind it quickly left, and I looked out the window, towards the stars.
I just stared at the stars for a while. I like looking at the stars I guess. Because they always look at you and shine. They don't judge you and turn away, taking away the light, they were just... there. With a sigh I clapped my hands together twice, and the lights in the room went out, the only light coming from the twinkling stars in the window.
I rolled over and closed my eyes. I think it took me a while to fall asleep, I couldn't really tell. But soon, I was drifting in blackness of sleep, forgetting about today's events, and the journey ahead.
Even for just a little while, I was free.
A/N: Whoo! 21 pages this time, and I updated pretty quick, too! I'm on a roll! Anyways, I want to thank my first reviewers: Robinfan and Carriles! I rally appreciate the reviews, and how they were so nice! Good reviews are what will keep me writing! Anyways, until the next update!