DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor the Disney and Square Enix characters. Please support the original works.
Chapter Sixteen: No Rules
"Vell, vell, vell, this is von big mess. I can see vhy you called me here."
Professor Von Drake clicked his teeth as he walked through the central square of Hollow Bastion, taking in the damage, and assessing the areas that needed major repairs.
"I don't know where or how to start," said Kairi, walking alongside the professor. "That chasm is the first thing that needs to be fixed."
Max, who was marching ahead of them, ever alert like the well trained knight that he was, leaned forward in a sigh. "Man. Even if we finish our mission, we're going to have some serious damage control to do after. Hopefully, no other worlds are in this bad a state."
"Not to vorry friends," Professor Von Drake boomed. "My genius is all the help this vorld needs. I have many solutions for fixing that hole. As for the castle, vell..."
Kairi pulled two folded pieces of paper from her pocket and handed them to Professor Von Drake.
"Yuffie had this idea about using the gummi ship to repair the castle," said Kairi, pointing to the crude picture on one paper. "And I found this in the castle library." She wiggled the other piece of paper.
"Ah, these are the castle schematics," said Professor Von Drake, eyes roaming the intricate architectural designs on the page.
"Yup. I've also added notes from the little bits I remember from my past."
Professor Von Drake adjusted his glasses, his beak pressing into the paper. "Excellent vork. I can make a few adjustments to make the rebuilding process faster, as well as fortify a few structurally weak areas, but are you sure you vant it as vas before? No modernizations?"
Kairi nodded. "Yes. I want to see my old home the way it was back when Grandma, Grandpa, and I were still happy."
"Very vell," Professor Von Drake took the two papers from Kairi. "Let's get started."
"I came all the way back here from the Highwind, because, apparently, while I was gone, the whole town up and decides to have a crisis and you can't even tell me what caused it?" Cid pointed his wrench at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "And you three. Y'all were flyin' round here and then you get knocked out of the sky, crashed the gummi ship, and you don't even know what hit ya?"
Sora peeked over Cid's broad shoulder so that he could catch Aerith's eye. She put a finger to her lips. Why Aerith insisted on keeping Sephiroth a secret from Cid, Sora didn't know, but he kept his thoughts to himself as he turned to Cid and shrugged.
"That pretty much sums it up, yes."
Cid's fingers tightened around his wrench. Sora cringed, getting ready for another tirade. But instead of a long harangue on his various failures, Cid put his hand on the boy's head.
"Well, at least you're okay, kid. Gummi ships can be fixed. Friends, well, can't replace the irreplaceable."
Turning, Cid hefted a toolkit from the ground and moved toward the pile of gummi ship parts that Sora, Donald, and Goofy had gathered and brought to the plaza in front of Merlin's house. Cid stopped in front of the pile, sighed, and ran his fingers through his blond hair.
"Man oh man. Where do I even start?"
The pile of gummi blocks shivered for a moment, and then two chipmunks popped out of the mess. Chip and Dale waved at Cid.
"First, we'll need to organize these parts. And we may need some materials from town," Dale suggested.
"Have Sora, Donald, and Goofy take care of the shopping. Those three couldn't tell a d-block from a Navi-G piece," said Chip, diving back into the gummi pile.
"Hey!" Sora and Donald grouched.
Goofy just scratched his head sheepishly.
The gummi pile moved again, but this time, a little mouse popped her head out. She pulled a ridiculously big pencil and notepad out of the pile and began jotting down a list of items.
"Here are the parts we'll need."
The mouse held out the notepad to Sora.
"Can you get them all?"
"Leave it to me." Sora winked. "Thanks Gadget."
Saluting, Gadget dove back into the gummi pile, shouting at Chip and Dale from within. "All right boys! Let's get to engineering."
Sora looked over the list of items Gadget had given him as he followed Donald and Goofy back to the market. Just before he turned a corner, he looked back at Cid and the Disney Castle engineers. Aerith was nearby, lending an extra hand, and trying her hardest not to laugh as Cid stomped his foot, yelling at Gadget and the two chipmunks.
"What are ya doing? Those parts go with the engine pieces!"
Gadget completely ignored Cid as she threw several black chunks of metal into her pile. "Don't worry. This thruster is totally dead, but I'm going to repurpose it to make an ever bigger, badder cannon! This is going to be fun!"
Sora smiled, turning the corner, and overhearing a few more screams before he had made it out of earshot.
"I told you!" Chip was yelling. "We'll have to recreate the bridge dome from scratch! How do you expect us to get a clear visual with all that broken glass?"
"And I told you," Cid growled back, "that we're not going to put the whole thing together, just salvage the pieces at the base! With all the construction going on, there isn't a material in Hollow Bastion that's as good as the original. If we combine the base of the dome with a few synthesis materials and torch them together, they'll blend in with no seams!"
"I think he's on to something there, Chipper," said Dale.
"Oh sure, take his side."
By the time Sora had made it to the market, he had a full blown grin on his face. Certain that his friends could make a new and improved gummi ship, he began his scavenger hunt for parts.
"I think that's all of them." Mickey sighed, releasing his keyblade. "Do you sense any more darkness in the castle?"
Standind at the King's side, Riku closed his eyes, taking in a deep breathe. They had reached the highest room of the castle. Having worked their way up from the bottom floors one by one, they now stood in the very same room where the world's keyhole had once been.
"Nothing. No heartless. The castle's all clear."
Nearby, Yuffie jumped and did a happy, little twirl. "Finally! The castle is heartless free! We did it! That took forever!"
Leon wasn't nearly as expressive with his excitement, but Riku could feel the older man's light shine from deep within. He turned to the rest of the group, and saluted.
"Thanks for all your help Your Majesty, Riku, Ms. Luna. It's been a long time coming, but we can finally start fixing this place from the inside."
Luna bowed. "I do hope this gives your people some security."
Yuffie stretched. "No kidding. Feels like I just took a load off! Thanks for helping us patrol one more time. So, fearless leader, what do we do now?"
Leon crossed his arms at Yuffie's nickname, but his stoic expression didn't change. "Let's head back to Merlin's house. I want see the plans Aerith and Kairi have come up with for fixing up our world."
Riku listened to everyone's footsteps as they slowly moved out of the room. He also listened to the pipes that cascaded down the walls and ceiling of the massive room. They were empty, no longer pumping darkness through the castle. Now, all that filled them was rust. An empty castle was a lonely thought, Riku realized, but it was much better then the heartless infested fortress it had been back when Maleficent had resided in it.
This was the place where all the princesses of heart had been captured. This was where Riku had fought with Sora, while under Ansem's control. This was where Kairi had reawakened, and Riku had stopped Ansem from hurting her. So much had happened in that very room, and yet it felt like a lifetime ago. And now, Riku smiled, this terrible place was to be torn down and rebuilt, back to its true form, back to when this castle was still Kairi's home.
There was a giggle. "I can sense the light again."
Riku started. Lunafreya was standing just a few feet away from him. He wondered how long she had been there. She had so much light, it was easy to feel comfortable in her presence. It was the same way he felt when he was near Kairi. Surrounded by light so serene, he found himself relaxing, making Lunafreya one of the few people that could sneak up on him.
"Every once in a while," said Luna as she walked toward Riku, "I feel a powerful light shine from within you." Her voice lowered, taking on a note of sadness. "But then, the light whispers out, just as quickly."
Riku swallowed. He was somewhat afraid to ask his next question, but, having decided long ago that he won't run from his fears anymore, he chose his words carefully. "I've been healed before, but nothing as intense as what you did back when we were fighting Sephiroth. When you healed me, I felt an intense rush of light. Are you saying that the light came from me, and not from you?"
Riku couldn't see her face, but could feel her light burn brighter. For a moment, he thought he might be covered in pixie dust and had to resist the urge to chuckle. Lunafreya probably had a sweet smile on her face.
"Yes. I'm sure. As oracle, my healing spells remove wounds, and also awaken the light within someone. My abilities are not strong enough to drive away the darkness that has a hold over your heart and eyes, but I can strengthen the light within you. The rest, you'll have to unlock on your own."
"The rest?" Riku repeated.
Luna pointed to his chest. "You have darkness, that is true, but there is also a powerful light in your heart, waiting to be released. Yet, something in you is holding it back. Until you face whatever fear is holding your light back, dormant it will stay."
"But other then healing magic, I've never used the light."
"Have you never felt the unstoppable will to protect those that you hold dear?"
Riku scratched his head. "This kind of thing doesn't come easily to me. Sora and Kairi use light almost like it's an instinct. Meanwhile, I needed to concentrate just to feel childish enough to fly."
Luna giggled. "Fly?"
"Uh, I meant have fun."
Luna looked up toward the ceiling. "Light comes easier to some then others, but I believe that knowing you have the capability is enough to guide you in the future. I have faith that you can do it."
Riku felt another annoying blush in his cheeks. "R-right. Thank you." He laughed nervously, unsure of whether it was to lessen the awkwardness he felt or if it was just a lingering note of pride at Luna's words. "You've helped so much in such a short time. Is there something I can do to repay you?"
Luna's serene and calm aura melted for a moment. She pulled her trident close to her chest. "You are going to go to other worlds, correct? I do have one selfish request. Perhaps, if you find Noctis, my fiancé, would you let him know that I am here, waiting for him?"
"Consider it done."
By the time Sora, Donald, and Goofy returned to give Cid, Chip, Dale, and Gadget the supplies they needed, not only had the four engineers organized the gummi mess, but they had also drafted blue prints and were excitedly talking about putting together an engine that, as Gadget put it, "is going to be super turbo amazing!"
The trio worked alongside the engineers, until Riku, Kairi, Professor Von Drake, Max, King Mickey, Leon, and Lunafreya returned. Yuffie, it turned out, had volunteered to do the first patrol around town. With everyone assembled, Professor Von Drake gathered Leon and Aerith for a quick meeting to discuss his plans to speed up repairs for the town.
"I vill need a few tools from home, and I must send vord to Mr. McDuck to bring Julius over to help with the heavy lifting, but if my calculations are correct, and they always are, then I predict that ve vill have the chasm filled in and the whole town repaired in less then three months."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "That quick?"
Professor Von Drake's beak curved into a smug smile. "Ve vill. Nothing can stop the genius of Professor Lugvig Von Drake! You'll see soon enough."
Aerith leaned down so that she could shake the professor's hands. "We really are grateful for your help."
"Don't forget about us!" said Dale, waving from Cid's shoulder. "Chipper, Gadget, and I can create more then just gummi ships."
Gadget flew by Aerith's shoulder, flying a mini, make-shift helicopter that was powered by the little pedals she was rotating with her legs. "Do you need a forklift? Or a bulldozer? Or a giant crane? Just say the word. I love making things!"
Now that his promises had been made to Leon and Aerith, Professor Von Drake waltzed over and bowed to the King. He then lifted a thick file out of the tiny pen pocket of his lab coat. The Disney Castle residents didn't seem the least surprised by the strange occurrence, but everyone from Hollow Bastion stared at the professor's tiny pocket, wondering just how a man of science can seemingly defy the laws of physics.
Kairi leaned over and whispered in Sora's ear. "Mary, Merlin, and now Professor Von Drake. How do they do that? I want to learn how to shrink things into my pockets!"
"Me too," Sora whispered back, "I would never have to pack again! It would be so cool."
"Mega cool," Kairi agreed.
"Guys," Riku scolded. "Pay Attention."
Professor Von Drake was flipping through the pages of his file. He stopped on a series of notes and then cleared his throat.
"Vile I have you here, Majesty, I vant to tell you vat I uncovered in my research. I have not yet discovered a vay to predict ven vorlds vill crash into each another but I have learned vhy people are appearing in vorlds they shouldn't be in."
Mickey leaned forward. "Gosh. That is important. What do you know?"
"There is a vild influx of light into the vorlds, but I'm sure you already knew that."
Mickey nodded. "That's what Master Yen Sid told us."
"Quite right. Light is forcing the vorlds to merge, and that is creating chaos even in vorlds that have not yet been connected. Even though ve all share the same sky, every vorld has its own rules, laws, physics, sometimes magic, or even time manipulation."
Sora thought back to Merida's world and how there were no heartless there. He remembered how, in Wilbur's world, they could travel through time. Wonderland messed with gravity, and he could walk on the ceiling. There had even been a whole a civilization of mice in Alice's city. And in Jim's world, there had been a whole universe to explore.
"By blending vith other vorlds," Professor Von Drake continued, "the order of things has been disrupted. The rules no longer matter. Vat you are seeing, vith people appearing vhere they should not be, and even the svitching phenomenon right here in Hollow Bastion, is a side effect of that. There are no rules that bind people to their home, so there is noting to stop the darkness from plucking them out of their own vorld and depositing them in another."
"So it was the darkness throwing people around after all," Riku mumbled.
"That is not all." Professor Von Drake flipped to another page in his file, cleared his throat, and began speaking again. "More light means that more heartless are appearing because they're attracted to the light. More heartless means more chaos. More chaos means less adherence to the rules, vat little there are left. The heartless, the svitching, the people appearing vhere they should not be, is only the beginning. More unforeseen problems may be heading our vay."
Mickey clenched his fists. "Is getting rid of the excess light the only way to stop it? And what other kinds of problems might we have to face?"
Professor Von Drake grimaced. "I'm afraid even I do not know the answer, Majesty. I vill need more data before I am sure. I simply vanted to give you a varning."
Just then, there was a puff of blue smoke. Merlin appeared, standing smack dab in the center of the meeting. The heavy book from Belle's library floated in front of the old wizard. He tapped the tomb with his wand and the book opened up to a random page. Looking up from the book, Merlin finally spotted all the confused glances that were aimed his way.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"Not at all," said Professor Von Drake, "I vas just finishing up my report on my findings."
Merlin twisted one corner of his mustache. "Jolly good. Then I believe it is my turn, yes?"
"You found something too?" Mickey asked.
"I have deciphered a section of this text. Mind you, it wasn't easy. Written in an ancient language, and with a dialect long forgotten no doubt, this truly was a test of my-"
"Excuse me, Merlin," Aerith interrupted, "but we're a little short on time."
"All right, all right," Merlin huffed, turning to face Mickey. "I have discovered a spell that can stop the switching problem in Hollow Bastion."
Aerith put her hands together. "That's wonderful!"
"Yes, m'dear, but, in order to do it, I need a pair of keyblades."
Sora walked forward to stand at Mickey's side. The two keyblade masters looked up at Merlin, waiting instructions.
"Now then, summon your weapons and face each other, if you will."
Mickey and Sora did as they were told. Merlin waved his wand and the old spell book before him fluttered down till it was floating between Sora and Mickey.
"I am going to cast the spell. Once I do, a keyhole shall appear, and I will need the two of you to lock it. Once that is done, the switching problem should be nullified. Are you ready?"
Mickey and Sora nodded. Merlin raised his wand, and began mumbling words that were unlike any language Sora had ever heard. Everyone in the square grunted, their hands rising up to cover their faces as a blast of white wind nearly knocked them off their feet. The only thing that kept Chip, Dale, and Gadget from flying off was Cid catching them in his hands and holding them close to his sturdy chest. Merlin's blue robes rose up around his ankles. He fluttered up into the air, still furiously speaking that strange language. Magic sparkled at the end of his wand, the power casting blue and white shadows over the ground and the sky, until everyone was engulfed in a light show of magic and enchanted wind.
Mickey and Sora grunted, holding their keyblades up, waiting for the keyhole to appear between them. The pages of the spell-book flipped angrily until they suddenly stopped. An orb of light popped out of the book's pages. It floated above the book, growing bigger and bigger, a shape appearing within it. A keyhole.
Mickey and Sora aimed their keyblades. Light from the two weapons traveled into the keyhole. There was a great "click," the sound of a closing lock. All the magical dust and shadows exploded, and for one split second, everyone was awash in white light. It was only an instant, but in that white void, Sora felt a voice whisper in his thoughts, a voice he knew from his dreams.
A single shut door cannot stop a great flood. The true source must be sealed tight.
The light faded. Merlin's feet met the ground, and the spellbook from Belle's library let out a loud clap as it closed.
"And that's that." Merlin sang. "Now there will be no more s-s-s-switchiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"
Merlin's words had ended in a surprised yelp, for at that very moment, the ground bucked beneath his feet. Everyone tried not to lose their balance as the earth roared. Nearby, buildings bounced, their walls cracking.
"M-M-Merlin! W-w-what d-did you d-do?" Donald stuttered as he bounced up and down.
"I have had done nothing! The book didn't say anything about an earthquake following the spell!"
The shaking stopped. Sora sat on the floor, trying to gather his wits. For a few precious seconds, absolute silence filled the air, and he looked around, spotting a few familiar items on the floor. The earthquake had shaken a few things loose from his pockets. Sora spotted Kairi's good luck charm resting next to the weird, green charm he had picked up back in the castle.
Picking up the two charms, Sora moved to help Kairi, Goofy, and Donald back up to their feet. When Kairi spotted the green star charm in Sora's hand, she gasped.
"Where did you get that? It's just like Riku's."
"It fell on the floor right after I defeated a heartless," Sora explained. "Didn't Mary Poppins say that there are three of these things?"
Kairi nodded, waving Riku over. He pulled out the orange star charm he had found in Neverland. Sora compared the two. They had the same shape, both made of stained glass, with metal frames around the star points. In the center of each star was a jagged, heart-shaped symbol. The only difference was that Riku's star charm was orange, while Sora's was green.
"So, all that's left is the blue one," Sora said.
"What do you think will happen when we find it?" Kairi wondered.
"Hopefully some answers about where the excess light is coming from," Riku said.
Donald made his way up to the three friends and tapped his foot. "Excuse me, but does anyone else care that we just had an earthquake?"
"Yeah," said Goofy, joining in, "I wonder what coulda caused it."
"I got your answer right here!"
Everyone looked up to see Yuffie jump down from one of the nearby roofs. She ran to Aerith, grabbing the older woman's hands.
"Is it," Aerith lowered her voice, "you know who again?"
"What? No, it's not Seph-"
Yuffie closed her mouth when Aerith began glaring. After a few seconds to consider her words carefully, in a calmer and softer tone, Yuffie began to explain.
"The town is fine. The castle is fine. But, there is some weird, hazy thing on the edge of town. I think-"
Mickey's ear twitched. "Another world is merging into this one."
Yuffie snapped her fingers, pointing at Mickey. "Bingo."
The king waved at his troops. "Looks like our time in Hollow Bastion is done. I have a feeling we should go investigate." Turning to Leon and Aerith, Mickey bowed. "I wish I could do more to help, but-"
"We understand, Majesty," said Leon.
"A leader must deal with the biggest problem," Aerith added.
"Thanks pals," said Mickey.
"Make sure to come on back when you have some free time," said Cid. "To pick up the gummi ship." He heaved a huge sigh, even though there was a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I'm sure we'll have it fixed up in no time."
Chip, Dale, and Gadget hopped excitedly in Cid's hands.
Turning to Yuffie, Mickey asked her to escort them to the edge of town. Quickly saying his goodbyes to the Hollow Bastion team, Sora was about to head out when he noticed that Kairi and Max had lingered for a moment. Aerith was leaning down, whispering something in Kairi's ear.
The younger girl blushed, and then turned to Aerith.
"I'm not ready just yet. I need to find a friend of mine. A little bit more time, then I can give you an answer. I promise."
Max gave Kairi a gentle shove. "Come on, don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you can do it."
"But, I don't know anything about leading!"
"You didn't know anything about dual wielding either. You'll learn."
Kairi didn't look reassured by Max's words but she moved past Aerith. A few steps away from catching up to Sora, Kairi paused and looked back over her shoulder.
"About Sephirth. I know he was being a little mean about it, but Riku had a point. If the two of them are looking for each other, then they'll have to fight. "
Aerith looked up toward the sky. "You're right. I just don't want to feed the darkness in Cloud's heart."
"But doing nothing doesn't help." Kairi bit her lip. "I don't know much about leading, but I know that it's better to reach out and go after your friends then just waiting around for them. You said Cloud won't feel better even if he defeats Sephiroth, right? Well, isn't it our friends' job to help us through those hard feelings?"
Aerith didn't turn to look at Kairi. Instead she clasped her hands together, pressing her lips to her knuckles. "Hmm, seems you're wiser then you think you are. Thanks for the advice. Maybe I need some time to think too."
The two women nodded at each other, a silent note of respect, good bye, and understanding passing between them. Her business done, Kairi waved for Max to move onward. The young knight ran ahead to join the rest of the team. When he ran by Sora, he gave the keyblade wielder a wink.
Sora frowned for a moment, wondering what Max's expression had meant. Then he turned when he heard Kairi approaching behind him. Her gaze was on the ground, and she was rubbing her arms as though she had caught a chill. She walked passed Sora, following Max. Getting into step beside her, Sora asked her what was wrong.
Kairi swallowed. "N-nothing. Sorry, I'm not ready to talk about it."
"Okay. If you need me to listen when you're ready, I'm here."
Kairi's eyes snapped up to his. "Sora, we'll always be together, right?"
Sora grinned. "Of course."
"How can you be so sure?"
He began counting off his fingers. "We were separated at Destiny Islands and we found each other again. We were separated at The End of The World and we found each other again. You found me in the realm of darkness, and we reunited in Disney Castle. If that's not proof that we'll always find a way to be together, I don't know what is."
A smile tugged at Kairi's lips. Before Sora realized what she was doing, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Sora froze, his foot still hanging in the air as Kairi's surprise attack had caught him mid step. If it weren't for the powerful thumping of his heart in his chest, he might have believed he had just died and gone to heaven. His hand trembled as he brought it up to his cheek, which was now redder then the sunset.
Kairi fidgeted with her hands for a moment. When she met his shocked gaze, her eyes were sparkling.
"Thanks, Sora."
Then she bolted, running to catch up with Max and the others. Sora spared another wonderful second to bathe in the glow of complete and utter bliss before he ran after Kairi and the others. He only hoped that his uncontrollable laughter stopped by the time he caught up.
"That wasn't there before," said Sora, taking in the sight before him. "Was it?"
"No," whispered Yuffie. "The last time I was here, it was all one big haze, like a mirage, but now..."
Normally, there would be an ocean at the edge of Hollow Bastion. The town and the castle floated in a disk of water. Now, several acres of land had been pasted over a section of Hollow Bastion's ocean. Kairi stared at the new land, at the dead, leafless trees, and the dull brown earth. At the center of the dry forest, beyond a set of old, metal gates, was a mansion. Just like when Beast's castle crashed into Disney Town, the sky above was split between two worlds. Behind Sora, was the pink and violet, dusk sky of Hollow Bastion. Ahead of him, was the cloudy, foggy, fall sky of the strange dead forest and mansion.
The mansion was nowhere near as tall and foreboding as Hollow Bastion's castle, but what it lacked in height, it made up for in width. Carefully, Kairi pushed open the rusted gates, ignoring the eerie creaking of the metal hinges. She walked into the sprawling courtyard in front of the mansion. Stepping around the dried hedges and withered thorns of the front lawn, Kairi stared at the property. There was a small, mossy pond next to the building. Tall, brown and black, hedges obscured the area around the mansion's left side. On the right, there was a greenhouse. The glass was stained brown, from years of neglect. Perhaps it was Kairi's imagination, but she swore she could see a spooky, orange glow emanating from within the glass structure.
Riku entered the courtyard behind her and covered his nose. "Gross! Smells like mold."
Kairi could see why. The mansion looked like it needed some serious tender, loving, care. The front face of the mansion was covered in what looked like several hundred years of dirt and grime.
"Be careful!" Max called after Kairi before he too entered the courtyard.
Before he followed the rest of his team into the new land, Mickey faced Yuffie and told her to go back to town.
"Oh, and make sure to tell Leon and the others to warn the civilians not to come here. We don't know what dangers there are in this world," Mickey warned.
"Okay. Good luck. See ya round!" With a puff of ninja smoke, Yuffie was gone.
The party slowly moved through the courtyard, scanning the new space for any other weird phenomenon that could come along with the new world. They made it to the mansion's front steps without incident. Standing before the massive double doors, Kairi looked up to the four, thick columns that stood before the entrance. They reminded her of prison bars, a warning for visitors to stay out.
Sora simply walked passed the columns and casually knocked on the door.
"Don't knock!" Donald covered his mouth, lowering his voice. "What if someone answers?"
Sora gave Donald a funny look. "Isn't that the whole point of knocking?"
"Yeah, but this place gives me the creeps! Can't we explore a bit more before we barge in?"
Sora shrugged, looking through one of the dusty windows. "I can't see anything inside."
"Uh, Sora, isn't it rude to just peek into someone's house?"
Max put a hand on his father's back. "Relax, Dad. It looks like this place is abandoned."
Mickey peered at the sky. "Gosh, those clouds look a lot angrier then before."
A low, vibrating hum echoed through the air, like the buzzing of thousands of invisible wasps. Kairi felt cold chips of ice press down over her skin. The droning hum made everyone in the party lower their heads, as though avoiding some invisible ax that was about to fall from the sky.
Donald pressed his fingertips to his beak. "M-maybe we should go back?"
Mickey tried to placate his nervous friend with a fearless smile. "Come on, fellas, we have to investigate why this world crashed into Hollow Bastioooooooooooooonn!"
The door to the mansion had opened. The house had screamed out a powerful blast of wind. Rather then push the intruders away, it pulled them in. Kairi tumbled, feet first, into a vortex of reds, blacks, and golds, as the air sent her flying though the moldy house. All around her, terrified screams from her friends echoed in her ears.
The next second, pain erupted on her left side as she slammed into the floor. Wherever she was, it was so dark, that she couldn't see much beyond the weak glow of the single candle on the wall. Max tumbled out of the air, landing in a heap next to her. Quickly standing, Kairi reached out with her hands, trying to catch her friends as they flew by overhead.
They all slipped away before she could get a hold of them.
Somewhere in the distance, a door was slammed shut.
Max and Kairi were alone.
The wind stopped rushing through the old house. Kairi wobbled, sneezing as the dust around her settled back down to coat the old, moist carpet beneath her feet. Max rubbed his head as he stood. Before either of them could do or say anything, the single candle along the wall disappeared, bathing them in darkness.
"Max?"
Kairi reached out with her hands. Her fingers pinched something soft and round.
"Ouch! Okay, that's my nose," came Max's nasally reply.
Pulling her hands back, Kairi knelt down and felt around the rough carpet.
"What are you doing?" asked Max.
"Looking for something I can set on fire. Like a torch. Really could have used Riku here since can sense things in the dark."
"Where do you think everyone else went?"
"No idea. I hope they're safe though. Yes!"
Kairi's fingers ran over old, splintery wood. A stool. Placing it down so that the seat was flat on the ground. Kairi grabbed one of the legs and yanked with all her might. She had overestimated her strength because the leg popped right off, making Kairi fall backward, her back hitting what felt like a surprisingly sturdy cabinet.
"Ow!"
"You okay?"
A pair of hands blindly squished her cheeks.
"I'm fine," Kairi mumbled through pursed lips.
Max pulled his hands away, his footsteps thumping as he moved behind her. He hooked his arms under Kairi's, and lifted her up.
"Thanks."
Raising the wooden leg in her hand, Kairi chanted a quick fire spell. Flames whispered to life before her, and Max covered his eyes as the light blinded him for a moment. Holding the torch over her head, Kairi looked up at the ceiling, watching lines of cobwebs shine under the firelight. There was another rush of fall air, as well as the sound of a door knob turning. A very close doorknob.
Jaws tight, Max and Kairi turned around, slowly. Behind them, a few steps away, was a candelabra. This wouldn't normally be such a strange thing, if it weren't for the fact that no one was holding the candelabra aloft. Max and Kairi gulped at the floating piece of furniture. The candle holder suddenly turned and floated down the hall, through a door that opened on its own. Beyond the doorframe, a large space lit up. The red and gold hues that Kairi had caught glimpses of, while she had been tumbling through the air, appeared within.
"Well, that's not creepy at all," drawled Max.
Kairi bit her lip, her cheeks rising. With the shadows of the flames dancing over her face, her smile looked rather odd, as though she were having a stomach ache and trying to hide it.
"Let's go check it out."
"What? You're not scared at all?"
Kairi ignored Max, leading the way forward.
"P-please. I-I've faced the realm of darkness. Nothing scares me."
She moved robotically down the hallway, her legs and arms ticking rather then smoothly transition from one part of a normal walk cycle to the next. A door slammed shut next to her. Kairi shrieked. She grabbed Max's arm, squeezing so tight that the poor boy had to grind his teeth to keep himself from yelping. They stared at the door that had just closed, waiting for it to glow, move, speak, growl, sneeze, anything. Nothing happened, and the silence stretched between them until Max snorted.
"'I've taken on the realm of darkness. I'm not afraid of anything,'" Max said in a high pitched voice.
"Don't mock me!" Kairi let Max go, practically pushing him away and stomping past him. "Come on! The sooner we get out of here, the better. I hope the others are okay."
The duo walked out of the hall, and into the expansive foyer. Kairi took in the antique, renaissance furniture, the intricate moldings along the ceiling, and tapestries that decorated the walls. Two sets of stairs led to the second floor of the mansion, their golden handrails glimmering in the candlelight. Though not as cavernous as Beast's castle had been, standing there, in the middle of the ornate foyer, made Kairi feel as though she were standing in the wide stomach of a giant monster.
Gulping, Kairi went to the exit. Her arm jerked when she tried to pull the massive doors open.
"Locked. And no keyblade to force it open. Just my luck."
Max pressed his forehead to the massive window by the door. "Looks like it started raining."
Kairi copied him, pressing her nose to the cold glass. Through the lightning and fog, Kairi saw the bones of tree limbs. The rain pounded on some shiny rectangles that were rising, slowly, out of the ground. Kairi squinted. Those rectangles hadn't been there when she had first entered the courtyard.
Stepping away from the glass, Kairi held her stomach, realizing what those rectangles were.
"Tombstones."
Max grinned nervously. "That's it. This place is totally haunted."
Kairi darted toward the stairs that led up to the second floor. "Let's look around."
"You sure you're not scared?"
Kairi paused on one of the steps, not turning around to face Max. "Who's scared? I'm not scared? I've faced scarier things for breakfast. Come on, let's explore."
"I'm confused. Are you scared or not?"
Kairi's lips trembled. "I'm just terrified! But also, a real, haunted mansion? Like with actual ghosts instead of heartless? How cool is that?"
Max found himself smiling. "Not going to lie: pretty cool. I just wish we weren't the ones trapped in it."
Kairi held up her free hand, wiggling her fingers eerily. "What if Sora and the others are being chased by ghosts as we speak?"
Max tugged on his ears. "Knowing my dad, he's probably screaming his head off. The only spooky thing he can tolerate is a mime. Oof!"
Max had bumped into Kairi's shoulder. The moment she had reached the top of the stairs, she had stopped walking, and was so still that Max had almost thought she had fallen asleep while standing. Then he heard it, the distant, deep, rumble of an organ, vibrated through the walls. Kairi turned in a circle, shining her torch light on a pair of doors. The music, if anyone could call the long, deep, drawn own notes as such, was coming from beyond them.
Max's hand tightened on one of his sword hilts, his fur sticking up. They stepped through the door, listening to the hinges groan so loudly that they silenced the organ in the distance. Max and Kairi entered a spacious ballroom. Lit by hundred of floating candles, and the occasional flash of lightning from the windows by the ceiling, the room looked as though it was once the host of grand parties and dances. On the far end of the room was an empty fireplace. A dance floor was in front it, and before that, was a long dinner table. Old, forsaken seats, covered in rotten wood and cobwebs, sat around the table.
Besides the entrance, along the wall near Kairi and Max, was an organ. No one was playing it, yet long, miserable notes continued to drone out of the instrument. Lightning flashed, and Kairi quickly turned toward the dinner table. If she hadn't moved, if she had looked at the organ for one more second, she would have seen the shadow of someone sitting in front of the organ, a shadow that only appeared when the lightning flashed.
Max inched toward the head of the table, looking down at an empty plate. There was a piece of paper on the fine china. Unfolding the paper, Max read aloud.
"'Edward Gracey, the master of this estate, in celebration of his upcoming nuptials to Ms. Elizabeth, would like to invite you to his rehearsal dinner.'"
As soon as the words were out of Max's mouth, the fire at the end of the ballroom lit up, bathing what was once a dim room lit only by candlelight and lightning, in an eerie, unnatural blue glow. Figures appeared on the dance floor. Lords and ladies waltzed in perfect, endless circles.
Max and Kairi unconsciously moved closer to each other. The dancers weren't solid. They could see the fireplace, the walls, the tapestries, simply by looking through the dancers' bodies. Someone laughed from overhead. Looking up, the duo spotted a chandelier. Two, smokey figures sat atop of the chandelier. Rags hung off their emaciated limbs, a pair of lipless mouths grinned at Kairi and Max. Lifting transparent mugs, as though toasting, the two figures tipped back the mugs, and drank.
"Actual ghosts," Kairi whispered. Her hip hit the table as she stumbled backward. "Max, I don't like this ride. I want to get off, I feel sick."
"Me too."
Max pointed. Kairi had been so focused on the dancers and the two oddly happy men on the chandelier that she had not noticed what was on the table. A whole buffet of silver plates, filled with spiders, eyeballs, wriggling worms, and severed, green fingers, was set before them. Goblets filled with bubbling, green liquid were set in front of each seat.
A low, melodic yet hoarse, old voice echoed through the hall, hovering to Kairi and Max's ears.
"I do not recall inviting you to the estate."
The duo looked at the entrance. A man walked out of the darkened hallway and into the ballroom. The blue light from the fire slowly added details to his silhouette. He stood, hands folded neatly behind his back, a few feet from Kairi and Max. What was strange about the man was that, unlike the dancers and the two ghosts on the chandelier, he appeared to be solid flesh and bone, instead of a silvery mist they could see right through. Despite this, his creamy, wrinkled skin looked as though it could barely hold on to the bones underneath. He stood so straight and tall that one could barely see the silver hair on his balding head. His black suit looked so tight, it was a wonder the seams didn't rip when he walked with long, proper, deliberate steps. Old, judgmental eyes settled on Kairi and Max.
Kairi gave the man a hesitant wave. "H-hello. Is this your mansion?"
"I am Ramsley, the keeper of this estate, which belongs to his Lordship Mr. Edward Gracey."
Max leaned over and whispered in Kairi's ear. "That's the name on the invitation."
"Indeed it is," said Ramsley, the wrinkles on his pale face deepening. "And I don't believe you were given such an invitation."
"We didn't mean to intrude," said Kairi. "We were kind of pulled in, actually. In fact, it might be the best idea if we go, s-seeing as we wren't invited and all. Would you please point us to the exit?"
Kairi's lip switched when she smiled, but she forced herself to be as cordial as possible, even when Mr. Ramsley's sunken eyes shifted to glare at her. He bowed, stretching his long arm, and pointing to a door along the wall. It was right next to the dance floor, right behind the dancers. Strange that neither Kairi nor Max had hadn't already spotted it.
Ramsley spoke his words slowly, dragging out the words so that they resembled an eerie melody. "Do kindly watch your step on the way. It can be quite perilous, especially in the dark."
"We'll make sure to keep that in mind," said Max, as he slowly walked backwards, away from Ramsley's unblinking eyes.
"Thank you, Mr. Ramsley. We'll be leaving now."
Kairi hustled Max to the door. The moment they were behind it, Kairi leaned against it to catch her breathe. Max snatched the torch from her hand, and held it close to his shivering body.
"That guy gives me the creeps! Why is he all fleshy? He's a ghost too, right? He has to be. No one in their right mind would live here with ghosts, right?"
Kairi shrugged. "Not unless your name is Jack Skellington."
"Who's that?"
"Long story," said Kairi. "Let's just get out of here."
The room they had entered was a wide gallery with paintings adoring the right wall. The left side of the room had floor to ceiling windows. A single door awaited them at the far end of the gallery.
As Kairi walked down the hall, she could have sworn the paintings on the wall changed every time the lightning flashed. A painting of a lovely lady changed into a scaly monster with snake hair. One of the portraits was of a man in an old-timey military uniform. As Kairi passed by the picture, she watched as the man's skin slowly receded from his face, until all that there was left of him were bones and tattered clothes.
Kairi passed by a mirror. Instead of seeing her reflection in the corner of her eye, something with sharp teeth, laughed at her from within the reflective surface.
Kairi screamed. "Thundaga!"
The mirror and the wall around it, exploded, pieces of glass and burning wood crashing onto the carpeted floor.
"Is there a reason you just barbecued that wall?" barked Max as he ducked under the flying debris.
"There was a creepy face it in the mirror! What was I supposed to do? Not barbecue it?"
"No, but I bet if Sora were here, you would have jumped at the opportunity to scream and grab his arm."
"Hey! Don't tease me right now! Let's just get out of here already!"
Max raised an eyebrow. "You fight monsters, but ghosts are the thing that terrify you?"
"Heartless can be defeated. But ghosts? How do you beat something that's already dead? You got an answer, Max? Because I'd love to hear it."
"Man. This place really is creeping you out. The last time you were this scared, we were going to destroy the heartless machine."
"No kidding. I think I'd rather be in the realm of darkness. When Sora was in Halloween Town, I was so glad that I was in his heart and not out running around with skeletons and ghost dogs."
"What happened to 'Let's explore this cool, haunted mansion' Kairi?"
"I lied, okay. I was trying not to look like a chicken."
"Bawk, bawk!" Max clucked.
He opened the door at the end of the hall and ran through it before Kairi could smack him. They entered a circular room with a very high ceiling. Near the ceiling, were a few more paintings.
"I thought this was a way out," said Max. He turned around. "We should probably," his voice slowly lowered to a whisper, "go...back...the door's gone."
"M-Max?" Kairi pointed to the ceiling. "Is the room stretching?"
The young knight looked up, and watched as the paintings by the ceiling seemed to slowly elongate. Each portrait was of a person, but, as they lengthened, some horrible fate appeared below them. A woman was standing on a tightrope over a pit of alligators. Three men were sitting, one on top of the other, as they were slowly sinking in quick sand. A woman sat on a tombstone of her late husband. And a man stood on a barrel of dynamite. As they watched the pictures stretch further, Max and Kairi came to a dismaying observation.
The chamber they were standing in had no windows, and no doors.
Which led to a chilling challenge: finding a way out.
"Of course," Ramsley's voice echoed down from the ceiling. "There's always my way out."
Lightning blinded Max and Kairi. At the same time, the floor vanished beneath from under their feet. Down they went, into a cold, moist, earthy tunnel, into complete darkness.
Jiminy's Journal:
Ramsley (First Appeared in The Haunted Mansion, 2003): A mysterious old man that lives in the mansion that has attached itself to Hollow Bastion. He says he is the keeper of the grounds, and he doesn't seem to like uninvited guests. Or perhaps, it is simply the idea of the living that offends him.
