Hunted or Busted: A Side Story
Dusted 6: A Kingdom's Patient Heart
I love Kingdom Hearts. And if any of you feel the same, this is for you after such a long wait.
For everyone else...hey, enjoy the finale and gen:LOCK!
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"I wanted to take the time and tell all of you that classes will be canceled for the next week after today." Glynda announced to the sound of uproarious cheers and applause from the student body, "The faculty have some matters they need to attended to urgently and it requires out full attention. There will still be assignments and homework for you complete during the break so you do not forget the material we covered, but as far as attendance then know that you won't be expected back in class until next Monday. That is all."
"Huh?" Jaune hummed, "Why do you think they suddenly canceled classes like that?"
"Who cares! We're free!" Naruto and several others yelled and cheered in blissful joy. The opportunity to leave classes and enjoy time to themselves was a blessing, but a whole week of classes being canceled was a miracle! The whiskered Faunus grinned as his ears twitched on his head, "Oh this is gonna be good!"
"A week! A whole week! Is this a miracle?! Is this heaven?!" Nora questioned, grabbing Ren and shaking him violently before he could give an answer.
"Ah, I can't believe this is happening!" Ruby brimmed with joy and excitement as her grin nearly took over her entire face. She was bouncing in place and looking between all her friends, "We've been blessed! This is the best time for this to happen too!"
"It is?" Jaune inquired while looking at his shorter friend's excitable behavior, "Why this week?"
"Why?!" Jaune squeaked as Ruby leapt on him, grabbing his collar and crouching on his chest as she shook him, "Because this is it! This has been the week we've waited for! The day we never thought would come! The game! The game! The game is coming out!"
"W-What?" Jaune stuttered but instead of confusion it sounded like genuine shock and disbelief. He stood up straight, not minding that Ruby was still crouched on his chest and keeping herself level with his collar, "It is? I-It's really coming out?"
"You didn't know?"
"I heard it had a release date, b-but I dared not dream." Tears welled up in his eyes, "Has it really come?"
"I didn't know you were a fan too!" She leapt off his breastplate and grabbed his hands as they started jumping in place, "It's coming! It's coming! It's finally here!"
Jaune's cried unashamed, voice cracking as he smiled, "I can't believe I actually lived long enough to see this day come!"
"You're crying a lot." Ruby noted with a cheery laugh before turning around to her friends, "Hey, did you guys hear about the game coming out?"
"That odd little mashup of cartoon characters and pop star looking teenagers wielding those impractical swords and traveling between worlds?" Weiss said with a scoff before pulling out her Scroll and walking away, "Yes, and I have better things to do."
"We have an entire week we need to plan for! Let's not waste a moment!"
The group of friends scattered and prepared for their week off while Jaune and Ruby watched them leave. The two friends looked between each other and shrugged, accepting that they would be the only ones celebrating the new release.
However what they didn't notice was how their friends' expressions hardened and darkened once they were out of sight.
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Naruto and Sasuke stocked up, putting on their battle gear before meeting each other's eyes and nodding.
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Weiss spun the chamber on her blade before clicking it back into place.
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Yang hid herself away and started to prepare the sanctuary.
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Pyrrha was done playing the nice girl.
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Blake snapped her magazine into place before locking her blade onto her back.
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Many people were preparing for the night ahead...with grim determination...and their goal so close in sight.
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"Are the children asking any questions?"
"We just gave them the entire week off. They forgot there was such a thing as school the moment the assembly ended."
"Fair enough."
"Right, so how shall we go about procuring our treasures?"
"Right, let's get to it." A large map of Vale was unfolded atop the table as a cane came down to point at a spot in the city, "This is the spot we shall be retrieving them. Got it memorized?" There were a mix of nods and groans at his not so subtle reference, "It will be at a late hour at a smaller store where most people won't be going to retrieve it. I believe there, away from all the celebration and pageantry, we will grab the games before anyone else."
"It's in a bit of a rough area of the city."
"Which is exactly why no one will be going there to buy them."
"Brilliant deduction sir!"
The two other man clapped the headmaster on the back for his genius as the sole female teacher hung her head and sighed.
"But that only leaves one more question for us to answer." The green-haired professor spoke lowly as he looked between his comrades, "What happens when we get there? Who gets the first one?"
The sense of camaraderie and solidarity between the teachers quickly died a fast and cold death. The ease in the room quickly filled with tension instead as each of them eyed each other dangerously. Where once there stood comrades there simply stood enemies that hadn't tried to kill them yet.
"Can I make a suggestion?" The blonde teacher spoke up and looked sternly between her fellow teachers, "I believe that it would only hurt our cause to argue and fight each other before the dawn of battle. I propose that we continue to work and fight together to reach our goal, and when we do...it's everyone for themselves."
"You're suggesting we have each other's backs until its time to stab them?"
"Correct."
"I'm alright with that."
"As am I."
"Wonderful! We have a game plan!"
The four teacher placed their hands in the middle and swore to work together until they didn't need to. Truly no better team had ever been formed.
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"Cinder, the time is almost upon us. I trust you shall act swiftly in seeing this matter through."
"Of course ma'am."
"Good. I expect much from you Cinder."
Cinder ceased communications with her superior and looked ahead with firm eyes. Mercury and Emerald were sat along with her in the room; Emerald watching her leader in silence as Mercury silently trained to the side. Once the call was finished they turned to their amber-eyed leader.
Cinder arose from her bed, "I trust you two understand what we must do now."
Emerald nodded, "Of course ma'am." She had sworn fealty to Cinder and whatever plans she concocted. The horrors and evils she might commit...she was prepared for whatever sins would weigh on her. That was the decision she made when she gave Cinder her life, "I'm ready for anything."
"Me too." Mercury lifted himself back up and stretched out his limbs, a cocky smirk on his face. He was a killer. He was born to one. Trained as one. Treated as one. Acted as one. And when the universe saw him at his lowest point, it set him on a path to follow that lifestyle. There was no need for fear or regret or doubt for him anymore, he knew what he was, and what he was going to do, "Ready whenever you are."
"We will be acting tonight." The lovely raven-haired monster whispered in her silky tone as she stood up and looked out from the window over the academy. She turned to her followers, "I hope you are prepared, because we will have to be ruthless to achieve what we want."
"Tonight?" Emerald and Mercury looked between each other in surprise before turning back to the woman in the silk red dress. She raised a fine eyebrow up in challenge before they nodded, "Forgive us ma'am, but we didn't expect to be acting so soon."
Cinder remained silent before a melancholy chuckle passed softly from her lips, "Yes, I don't believe any of us planned for this day to come. And yet here it is."
"It's pretty soon, isn't it?" Mercury questioned. His blood froze when Cinder's cold glare turned to him and he felt like death hovered over his shoulder. He raised his hands passively, "What I mean is I thought we were going to enact the plan during the festival. When everyone was together and there would be more of a freak out when the ball finally dropped. If we need to act sooner then that's cool, but just a little unexpected."
"Hehe," Another faint laugh came from Cinder as she shook her head, "Oh no, you seem to misunderstand. This has nothing to do with the plan or what we've been waiting for. This…is something far more important."
"It is?" Emerald gulped, "What are we doing Cinder?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She flipped her hair extravagantly over her shoulder and smiled in her devilish manner, "We are procuring two copies of the new Kingdom Hearts game that drops tonight!"
"…"
"…"
"You're shocked, obviously."
Mercury nodded, "Obviously."
"Wait wait wait." Emerald shook her head with a befuddled expression on her face, "So that talk you had with Salem? All this preparation? It's for a game?"
"Not just any game." Cinder smirked with a vile sneer, "It's the sequel to the game years in the making. I truly never thought it would come to fruition, but here we are…on the eve of release."
"New game?" Mercury blinked, "Are you talking about that stupid game series for kids about friendship and heart-"
"Mercury." The silver-haired boy clammed up at Cinder's low tone, "You're a survivor, and you're smart too. Now tell me…do you think finishing that next sentence is the best thing for your health?"
"N-No Cinder."
"Clever boy."
"But Salem!" Emerald gawked in disbelief, "That Salem wants a copy of that corny ass game! W-WHY?! WHY DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT?!"
Cinder shook her head and wistfully looked out at the setting sun, "I don't think I've ever told you two how this all started for me, have I?" Her ember eyes glowed in the sunshine as she thought back to the moment her life changed forever, "Let me tell you…how it all began."
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Young Cinder bounced in her seat after finally completing her game after an arduous, difficult journey. She grinned, "Oh boy, I finally beat it! And there's a teaser at the end too! AH, I'm so excited! I can't wait for the next game to come out!"
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"But it never came! And I was left disillusioned and bitter to the wonders of the world! Naturally I turned to a life of evil and degeneracy as a result of being denied this game! And just as I've settled into it, the fabled sequel finally arrives. Keh, feels like the universe is just trying to toy with me."
...
Mercury looked flabbergasted after what he had just heard. He thought he was stumped, but from the sheer catatonic look on Emerald's face he guessed he was the one that had to do the talking. He shook his head, "So we're going out tonight to buy that game?"
"Indeed we are."
"But do you really have to be so excited about it? I mean it's not really the sequel, right? I mean they released like half-a-dozen other games since that one, righ-"
Mercury was floored as Cinder's hand embedded itself in his cheek and knocked him off his feet. Cinder glared down at him, "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut your fucking mouth,"
Emerald was abandoned on the street and had to fight every moment in order to survive and make it in the world without anyone to call a loved one.
Mercury was beaten and abused by his bastard father, trained and tormented in order to take up the role of merciless assassin that twisted him into the monster he was now.
But not getting a game you really wanted...
Yeah...seemed like a legit start to darkness if they'd ever heard one.
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"Hey Jaune," Ruby looked up at her taller friend with slight worry, "I'm really excited too, but are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah, of course I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because it's like you've been crying nonstop since I told you it's coming out today." The scraggly blond's eyes were deep red from endless crying over the last few hours, "Do you need to rehydrate or something?"
"Way ahead of you." He pulled out his water bottle and shook it victoriously; as if proud that he had already planned in case his unending crying caused him to pass out. He rubbed his eyes and sniffled, "But the reason I'm all teary is because I've been listening to the soundtrack for the last few hours."
"Oh wow, yeah, that'd definitely do it."
"It really does." Jaune nodded before holding out an earphone, "You wanna listen with me?"
"No!" Ruby adamantly shook her head before meekly looking down, "I'm-I'm not ready for that feels trip again."
"Okay, more for me." Jaune plugged his ears and started playing the soundtrack. Almost immediately his eyes watered and his lips quivered as he was assaulted by a ferocious onslaught of emotions.
Ruby ignored the quiet sobbing at her side as she started to shake with excitement. She had been hyping herself up for this day for years, but now that it was finally here she just couldn't believe she was so close to holding it in her hands.
What was she going to do first? Should she try making a walkthrough and upload it to the internet? If she did it early it could be pretty popular. As soon as she could she was going to update and enhance the ship however she could because that was one of her favorite parts. It was going to take some time to figure out how to map her magic spells and items, but it was gonna be so much fun.
Whatever it was, Ruby was certain that she'd have to kill somebody if there was another freakin' rhythm mini-game for her to play.
Just around this corner was the game store, and there she could finally get her hands on the brand new-
"OH MY GOD WHY?!"
They could only look on in shock and horror as they rounded the street corner and came onto an entire city block filled to the brim with the hustle and bustle of people. Many of them were dressed up in familiar clothing and weapons, while some had put on even more elaborate costumes of black and white to portray the monsters of the series.
Ruby's shoulders sagged in disappointment at the sea of people in front of her. Even so, her disappointment changed to one of astonishment and admiration at all the amazing work people had put into their costumes. She spotted one of the black, yellow-eyed creatures that posed the greatest threat to the world of the game.
But it looked so cute!
"Excuse me!" Ruby ran up to the costumed person as Jaune quickly followed after her. She came up to the twitchy Heartless with a bright smile, "That is such an amazing cosplay! Can we get a few pictures with you please?"
"R-Ruby?"
Ruby and Jaune immediately recognized the the high-pitched voice muffled inside the head of the costume, "Weiss!"
"Shh!" The heiress in the bug-eyed costume hushed them with a wave of her floppy appendages. The Heartless looked around suspiciously before whispering quietly, "Don't say my name so loud!"
"Is that really you inside that thing?"
"Y-Yes, okay, it's me."
"What are you doing here?"
"Why do you think? I came to purchase the new game of course."
"You did!" Ruby smiled, "Weiss I didn't know you were a fan of this series. Wait, didn't you say it was silly before when I was talking about it?"
"I-I had to say that! Do you have any idea what kind of rumors or problems might occur if people took notice that the daughter of the Schnee Dust Company was obsessed with a series like this? I can't talk about it out loud."
"So you're answer was to buy the game dressed up in a way no one would recognize you?"
"Indeed."
"Isn't it hot in there?"
"Extremely."
"Then why didn't you pick something more breathable to change into?"
"Why would I want to be anything else but the most adorable creature in the series?"
Ruby and Jaune blinked and shared a look of confusion, "But they're like the biggest monsters in the whole game."
"Hmph!" Weiss tried to take her normal petulant stance with her crossed arms and turned chin, but it didn't quite get through with the costume she was currently wearing, "That doesn't not make them the most adorable creatures in existence! If they wanted to go for more menace and evil, they shouldn't have made them look so cuddly."
"I bet you were one of those fans that has plushies of them in your room, right?"
"..."
Ruby and Jaune grinned, "I bet you're blushing, right?"
"Both of you shut up!"
"Whoa! That is an awesome costume!" Two boys dressed up as the main protagonists of the series came running over, dressed exactly to model and carrying fake weapons to match. They came to a stop beside them before one held out his Scroll to Ruby and Jaune, "Hey, can you guys take a picture of us-"
"..."
"..."
Ruby stifled a giggle, "You two look really convincing."
A blush covered Naruto's whiskered cheeks as he avoided their eyes, "I didn't think you'd be coming here to get the game."
"Weiss is wearing this by the way."
"Ruby!"
"Huh, I guess we weren't the only ones coming out in full regalia." Naruto shrugged as he hefted his key-shaped sword onto his shoulder and let it rest there, "Yeah we wanted to get here early and buy the games dressed up like this. Thought we could get on the news."
"You've been waiting while all these people showed up?"
"They were already here when we arrived. This is a bigger deal than I think we gave it credit."
Jaune looked over the crowd, "Did you guys give up your spots or something to come back here?"
"Oh, no spots. I think it's just a general consensus that when the game is finally released, we'll all just rush the store and stomp on each other to get our copy."
Jaune paled in horror, "That's…that's horrific."
"It's chaotic as shit, but at least we're all okay with it." It was odd seeing their Faunus friend so casually complicit with the idea of assaulting and attacking others to get what he wanted. But before they could bring that to his attention, the whiskered teen grinned and looked between his friends, "What about you guys? I know Weiss went the whole nine yards but you guys didn't want to dress up as your favorite characters?"
"I don't think I could." Jaune meekly scratched his cheek, "I don't exactly have the, um, figure to pull off her outfit." The others looked at him with a mix of amusement and enjoyment as he blushed with embarrassment, "I always liked the prequel characters' stories the best, and the female hero was my favorite character from the whole series. My sister liked Terra's story the most, but she loved Aqua as a character. She said if there was some way to combine the two..." Jaune paused, gazing ahead blankly in deep thought before realization slowly dawned upon him, "Oh things are starting to connect now."
"I liked the Organization members the most! The were so cool!" Ruby giggled while bouncing on her feet, "I may or may not have spent a period of time in Signal dressed in a black overcoat."
Weiss sighed, "So you definitely did."
"My favorite members were Marluxia and Xigbar! I think I liked them so much because one had such a great look and eccentricity to what he did, while the other one was so funny and snarky and fun to listen to and-"
"One of them has a scythe with flowers, and the other is a sniper. Not that hard to see where your favor comes from." Ruby blushed and pouted, grumbling something under her breath about not being that obvious. Naruto proudly showed off his costume and keyblade, "I'm Sora, or Roxas if I feel like taking off the wig. And Sasuke is Riku, because of course he is."
Weiss looked at the Uchiha through her Heartless outfit, "I'm surprised you're fond of this series."
"Naruto introduced me when we started playing video games together. I'm not sure why he thought I'd be interested in a kid's game with cartoon characters constantly spouting stuff about light and darkness and hearts and friendship."
Once more they looked over the usually stoic young man and his attire. He had faithfully recreated the deuteragonist's clothes down to the last detail, with a totally accurate weapon and stance as well. Plus unlike Naruto he had opted to dye his hair silver-white for the occasion.
The others were oddly impressed by his commitment.
Weiss found her face heating up a little at the sight of him having white hair like hers. But she just blamed it on the fact she was overheated in her black outfit on an ungodly hot day. Yeah, that made much more sense those these silly fantasies in her head where his name is Sasuke Schnee.
Oh gods…purge those thoughts. Abandon the temptation.
"Weiss, you okay? You've just been standing there for several minutes in silence."
"No father I don't care what you - huh?" Weiss stumbled in the Heartless outfit before looking around in a daze, "What were we talking about?"
"That it's crazy that we're all here together!" Ruby repeated while looking around at her friends, "I wish we all found out we love this series before coming here. We could have replayed the games together in a marathon!"
"Oh that would have been awesome!" Naruto shared in her enthusiasm as smiled, "You think we could've converted a few more of our friends if we did?"
"I think it would have been really cool if we all got together and played it. It would totally make playing this game more fun if we can experience it all together." Jaune added before shrugging, "Although I've been dying to play this game for years now and I don't think I'd just want to watch someone else play it; even if it was one of my best friend."
Ruby nodded, "Good point."
Naruto agreed, "I'd be livid."
"I don't just wanna watch someone play it." Sasuke stated, "Weiss?"
"I'd hurt someone if I had to wait to play this any longer." With the feeling mutual for all of them, the group stood together and tried not to get lost in the massive crowd, "I thought this store would be easier to buy from because it isn't the most popular in the city. But apparently everyone had the same thought. Perhaps it would have been more beneficial for us to head back into the city and purchase there?"
"Uhh…" Jaune gulped and turned his Scroll around so his friends could see, "I don't think that's such a good idea."
("This is Lisa Lavender, reporting to you live from the center of Vale, where pandemonium and bedlam grip the masses! A riot has broken out with over a thousand people, as customers barrel through and attack each other in order to own the new game coming out tonight! There were attempts to enter the store in an orderly fashion, however that quickly devolved once patrons started claiming their spots and trying to cut in line. I'm not quite sure how we got here now, but a figure clad in brown light has created a 50-foot golem of dust and sand and is currently engaging in battle with Mistral's four time champion!")
("I've defeated the Data-Organization, Pyrrha Nikos! I can handle you!")
("The Lingering Will was the best challenge I've ever had playing a game! I refuse to hand it over!")
The two charged each other on the screen, and the resulting battle caused the camera to cutoff before they could see anything. However the faint echo of an explosion miles away and the earthquake under their feet did leave them realizing that the battle was about as epic as they expected.
"So...let's just stay here, okay?"
"This is ludicrous! It's highway robbery! How can you two just stand there and allow this?!" The group of students recognized the indignant cry off to the side and looked over to see what was causing the ruckus. When they did they found their cat Faunus friend arguing with a set of twins in white and red uniforms, selling some custom-made ice cream in the fashion of the sea salt treat from the series, "You tantalize us with finally getting to taste this delicacy just to rob us in the process!"
"Hey bitch, you don't need to buy one."
"Yeah, you can, like, piss off and stand in the heat while waiting for your game like everyone else. Your choice."
Blake remained tense and silently debated to herself what she should do. Her nose scrunched up and she pouted furiously at the criminal twins before pulling out her wallet and reluctantly handing over some Lien. The twins gladly snatched up her money and handed over a seafoam blue Popsicle for the bow-wearing girl. She took it with an angry grumble and glared daggers at the two vendors, "I hope you're proud of yourselves."
"Of course we are. We just made a sale."
"Come get your sea salt ice cream! On sale! Buy one get the next one for the exact same price! It's a steal, trust us!"
Blake slipped away while other people started taking an interest and lining up around the twins. She stomped away in a mood but the moment she started partaking in her frozen treat her harsh expression softened. Her eyes closed blissfully and her bow started to wiggle from her ears happily dancing on her head. She made her way through the crowd before she found herself in front of a group. Blake opened her eyes to see who it was, but then found herself frozen in surprise.
"…"
"…"
She defensively protected her ice cream, "Get your own." Ruby and Jaune seemed saddened and reluctantly stepped back while eyeing the blue-green popsicle. Blake continued to enjoy it before looking her costumed friends over, "You two certainly put in the effort. I'd give Naruto a 8.5/10, and Sasuke a 10/10 - great commitment."
Sasuke graciously nodded, "Thanks for noticing."
"Blake! Blake! Guess what!" Ruby excitedly spoke to her teammate before pointing at the Heartless besides them, "You'll never guess whose inside here~!"
"Weiss." She took another bite and shrugged at her leader's stunned expression, "Honestly I'm shocked you didn't notice the huge Heartless outfit trying to be conspicuously hidden in our bedroom before today."
"O-Oh, t-that silly thing? Pssh, I-I totally noticed it too like super easy and everything! I-I-I just didn't want to ruin her fun by pointing it out so early...y-yeah."
"Smooth." Naruto chuckled as Ruby pouted at him and started bumping her foot against his shin. He took it in strike and looked at his fellow Faunus with a smile, "So Blake, what are you looking forward to the most from the new game?"
"Mostly the story elements. How everything wraps up and how it finally concludes." The cat girl nodded, "But I think I'll be happiest to see the SoraxRiku story reach a satisfying conclusion."
It took a moment for what she said to register before their eyes grew in size, "But Sora and Riku aren't like that."
"HAHA!" They jumped back in surprise at Blake's sudden and boisterous laughter, watching her double over and hold her stomach in pain. The laughter quickly started a ripple effect that traveled over the entire crowd and caused a roaring cackle to build up. It continued on for a few moments before coming to a gradual stop.
Blake caught her breath and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Oh...that's a good one. Funny joke."
A chime rung out over the area and everyone stilled, ("Attention everyone! This is an announcement about the stock of the game! At the moment we only have about a hundred copies to sell, due to our bigger store needing more of the inventory for their large sale. As such, I regret to inform you that not everyone will be getting a copy today. If you will please wait patiently, we will decide how to choose the first hundred people to buy the game.")
There were no cries of anguish or anger.
No sad sniffling or muffles.
No outward emotion whatsoever.
After a moment the Beacon group just laughed to themselves. Jaune wiped his eyes, "Oh, that kinda figures, doesn't it?"
"Tell me about it!" Ruby giggled, "All this time waiting and they don't have enough copies. Man, it's so cruel it's kinda funny."
The Beacon students continued to laugh off the fateful turn-
("We will be handing one hundred tickets out that will allow access into the store. Now if you will be form an orderly line-")
Hell.
Shopping for games was hell.
The close-knit friends that had been fighting beside each other for so long turned on each other like animals. Naruto and Sasuke dashed for the store without a moment hesitation. Ruby ditched Jaune, using her Speed to vanish and gain the upper hand. Blake made to follow, but as if her pettiness had built up and she realized she didn't want more rivals than she already had, she knocked Weiss over in her Heartless outfit and sprinted for the store.
Punches were thrown.
People were knocked over.
The city block had turned into a war zone with people attacking each other in the riot. Relationships were ruined and friendships were betrayed as they all charged for the store.
"Move! Move! We don't have much time!" Naruto roared as he jumped on the shoulders of other people and made his way over the crowd, "I won't let anyone else get one before me!"
"I see the store! Almost! There-"
A huge section of people were blown off their feet by a tremendous force. The Beacon students were nearly overwhelmed by the swarm of people flying over them and had to come to a stop. The students lifted themselves up and looked at the man in the center of the attack.
"HOHO!" A stout man with his features hidden under a black coat stood proudly with his blunderbuss axe in hand. He hefted the mighty weapon on his shoulder and gave a hearty chortle, "You thought you could covet this game with only strength like this! Is your conviction only this strong?! Then the game is mine! Ahahaha-"
"Professor Port?"
The short man in the black coat flinched and looked back in a start. His face was shrouded in darkness but the change in demeanor made his shock clear. His voice stuttered, "M-Ms. Rose - I-I'm mean who are you talking about young lady?! I am simply a man with no name and no heart, come to procure-"
"Huh?" Naruto and Sasuke came along soon after, "Professor Port?"
"No, I-I'm not this ruggedly handsome man you all seem to believe I am! Like I just said-"
Jaune stumbled over, panting for air, before looking up, "Oh hey Professor, what are you doing dressed up like that?"
"Seriously I'm not-"
"Hello Professor, quite the interesting choice of attire you have there. Almost like you're trying to hide your features so no one knows it is you that's attacking civilians to try and buy a video game." The man in the coat clammed up when Blake appeared by their side, "It'd be a real shame if word got out that an esteemed faculty member from Beacon, who is also a trained and accomplished Huntsman, was using his skills to attack poor innocent civilians simply to get what he wants."
"M-Ms. Belladonna, are you filming with that Scroll?"
"I would never, Professor Port. That would be insinuating I was planning to use this as some kind of evidence or blackmail." The bow-wearing girl waved off his idea while her Scroll continued to flash a red light on her screen, "But I would never do something like that to the mysterious man who was helping us."
"B-Beg pardon?"
"If a trained warrior and educator was using his skills on others, I'd have a duty as an upstanding member of society to report it." Blake shrugged, "However if a nameless individual just so happened to clear a path to us to reach the store and get what we want, then he'd have my undying gratitude. I'd have to delete any such proof I may or may not have if something like that happened."
...
The man in the black coat seemed to deflate before motioning with his weapon, "F-Follow me then. I promise I shall lead you to your destination without a hitch."
The students watched their teacher started to clear a path before they all looked at Blake with complicated expression, "You can be really devious sometimes."
Blake nodded, "I'm not going let something like morals or ethics get in my way now. If I have to be a heartless monster in order to get what I want then so be it."
"You know from the game's perspective that'd make you-"
"Stop analyzing and run!"
The group of students followed their disguised teacher through the crowd as he cleared a path. Most people were being sensible and jumping out of the way, but for the poor fools who tried to pick a fight they found themselves sent flying from his swings.
"Um Profes- I-I'm mean Mister Mystery Man," Ruby made her way up besides the axe-wielding Huntsman, "Are you gonna be alright? This is a lot of people to barrel through."
"My dear, I beat 1000 Heartless in a single go! I can handle this!"
Ruby didn't have to stomach to tell him she had done the same, and most likely everyone here had done so too. Plus that was a video game and this was reality, but he was burning with passion and she didn't want to interrupt that.
They came upon another group of buyers being knocked away and defeated by another man in a black coat. This one was far taller and more lanky than the shorter one leading them. He was waving around a bat made from a thermos with a flame at the end of it. He expertly spun it in his hand, "Just a little longer and hopefully we'll have all the-"
"Barty! We need to talk!"
"Excuse me?" He turned around to the oncoming group, "I'm sorry but I do not know-"
"Yeah yeah, not now." The shorter coat convened with the taller one and pulled him down, "We kind of have a problem." He leaned in and started whispering softly before they separated. They looked back at the group of students.
Blake's eyes were dangerously narrowed as she had her Scroll recording their every move.
The taller man coughed into his fist, "I see the problem now. Very well, follow us young ones. We should be reaching the store soon."
"But how Professor?"
"Doctor! I-I mean I'm not a doctor who said that?!" The taller man shook his head, "Anyway, there's no need to worry. The path should be clearing up in 3, 2, 1-"
There was a sound uproar of screams and yells of concern as a massive portion of the crowd in front of them were lifted off their feet. Instead of being sent flying, the civilians were left suspended in the air where they flailed around in an effort to escape their sudden situations.
"Come comrades!" A female in the black garb waved her riding crop around and motioned for her associates to follow her under the wave of people she lifted with her ability, "We have a straight shot to the store! Our leader is there right now and..." Her rousing speech paused when she noticed the students with them, "This is bad, isn't it?"
"Yeah." The two men nodded, "We're going to be leading these fine students to the store to help them buy what they want. Out of the goodness of our hearts."
"And not just because one of them might have blackmail material on us."
"Then go children!" The stern-voiced woman said with a dramatic flair as she pointed down the path, "Go out and reach your goal!"
Th Beacon students made their way past and ran through to the store. Jaune looked back at the black coats before whispering to Sasuke, "They're really trying to stay in character, aren't they?"
"It's kind of embarrassing, but considering what I'm wearing and how I dyed my hair I guess I can't really say much."
"We're here! This is it!" Ruby announced as they approached the storefront and saw the doors slowly open for them, "Just a few more steps and we'll be the first ones to-"
When the door finally opened, they were faced with the final black coat standing before them; his stature firm and the cane in his hand gripped tightly. A familiar voice echoed from within the hood of the coat, "I see you defeated my cohorts."
"Sure, let's go with that."
"Well no matter. We find ourselves here, at the precipice of victory. Only one person can take the honor of the first purchase." The leader kicked his cane out from under him, spinning it in his hand before aiming the tip of it at the group of students, "If you believe you'll get the first purchases, then you'll have to go through me."
"I don't think we have to." Naruto smugly said as he smirked and pointed back at his cat friend, "You see we've been recording you and the other teachers using your skills and powers just to reach the store. And if you don't want this stuff to hit the internet-"
"Post it." They looked at the black coat in surprise as the older man spoke with certainty and conviction, "You think a controversy or a scandal is enough to make me falter? You think we ever expected to come out of this simple and clean! Here at the top of the mountain! At our sanctuary! Post it! Send it across the world! Don't think twice about it! I'm willing to sacrifice what I've built up if it means I can finally hold this game in my hands! My comrades and I are ready to accept poverty, destitution, unemployment, and squalor if it means we can reach our goal! We'll face our fears! EN-"
The leader was suddenly lifted off his feet and slammed into the ceiling. He was subsequently slammed back into the ground hard enough to crack it. And it was repeated again. And again. And again.
The Beacon students stared on in horror before looking over their shoulders. The female black coat had her riding crop extended before reaching up to her face, possibly fixing a pair of glasses over her nose before coughing, "I apologize for his behavior, and all those terrible puns. He doesn't speak for all of us. We can wait after you. Please go ahead."
They hesitated for a moment before slowly stepping over the twitching body of the black coat lying in the middle of the crater. Once they had passed over the unconscious body, the man was dragged out by his female companion to wait outside.
"Excuse me?" They turned back around to find several stands of their much desired game on display, with several registers open at once, "You're the first ones here. Do you want to make a purchase?"
Tears filled Jaune's eyes in an instant. The others simply celebrated with arms raised in victory.
((((((((Hunted))))))))
"You're back!" Yang exclaimed once the door opened and she saw her sister standing in its frame. The older sister had changed their bedroom into the ultimate gaming pad; every blanket and pillow and sheet perfectly melded together to form two reclining chairs of peak perfection. Snacks and treats and drinks were placed all around the floor, with the gaming system situated a mere two feet away from them. The older sister bounced in place as she had already changed into her pjs, "Took you long enough!"
"I don't wanna hear you complaining." Ruby said with a grumpy pout as she walked in and fished her game out of the bag. She tossed it to her sister before lifting herself up to her bunk bed and grabbing her pajamas. She pulled off her top and slid her pants down as she watched Yang caress the game cover to her cheek, "I'm the one that had to stand in line and fight my way over to get it! Literally fight for it!"
"Oooohhhhh~, that's it. Mama's been waiting for you." Yang ignored her sister's whining and continued to nuzzle the game to her chest like a baby. She looked back and saw her sister finish changing into her comfy clothes, "We played to see who bought the game and who set up the area. Not my fault you pulled scissors."
"I hate it when you use rock. I feel like my fingers are gonna break." The little sister dropped into her chair and snuggled up into it. She was almost in the perfect position before her big sister pulled her into her chest, "Yang?"
The blonde grinned, "Can you believe we finally get to play?"
Ruby grinned as well, "I'm so happy."
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Weiss frowned as she sat alone on her side of the curb, having finally taken off her Heartless head to get some fresh air. The Schnee heiress frowned in annoyance as she rubbed her feet against the pavement.
Because of her costume, and the size of the crowd, she couldn't get through fast enough to join her friends in their mad rush to the store.
And she didn't get her game. So here she was...wallowing in her sadness and disappointment.
The heiress frowned, her pout deepening and even a tear threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes. However those feelings faded when a copy of the game was lowered before her face.
"Huh?" Weiss blinked and gently took the game in her floppy hands. She looked up and behind her to see Blake with a second copy and a smile on her face, "You got me a copy."
"Sorry for knocking you over. My competitive spirit was really flaring at the moment." Blake sat down beside her friend, "After briefly throwing away all my morals, I was reminded about what matters most to a fan of this game. Opening your heart, and cherishing what you have with your friends. So I'm sorry if my momentary lapse in judgement caused you - OOF!"
"IT'S MINE!" Weiss waddled away quickly after pushing Blake over and headed to the Bullheads to Beacon, "IT'S ALL MINE!"
Blake frowned, "Fine, whatever. Shit in on my feeling, see if I care."
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"We're back."
"Guess what we got!"
"Your games?" Kiba and Tenten looked up as their teammates reentered with their prizes in hand, "You two were gone quite awhile. Was everything okay?"
"It was awesome!" Naruto grinned, "We made alliances! We blackmailed teachers! We cheated our way ahead and snuck past people who were probably waiting much longer than us!"
"In other words, normal big game release things." Sasuke added to ease their horrified looks.
"Well if you two are gonna play make sure not to stay up all night." They didn't seem to take Kiba's words into consideration, which irked the tattooed boy. He grumbled, "So who plays first?"
"Me."
The best friends turned to each other in silence.
Naruto chuckled, "Uh, I'm gonna be playing first. I called it."
"No you didn't." Sasuke glared, "I called dibs for this exact reason when we decided we were getting the game."
"I've been a fan longer than you have!"
"I'm a bigger fan. Do I have to point to the dyed hair again?"
The two best friends glared at each other in silence as the tension grew so heavy it could be cut with a knife. They dared not make a move...until Naruto lurched forward and jabbed Sasuke across the face. He pushed the Uchiha back and dashed for the game console.
Sasuke grabbed his collar before he could get too far and pulled him back into a sleeper hold. Naruto gagged and struggled against the hold as his vision started to blur. But the whiskered Faunus grit his teeth and yelled before kicking up his legs and turning, slipping out of Sasuke's lock. He landed and then kicked his leg out into the Uchiha's chest to knock him back.
"Hey!"
"What is wrong with you two?!"
Naruto and Sasuke slowly picked themselves up, never looking away from the other's glaring eyes. Slowly they drew their key-shaped weapons and lowered into their stances. The best friends narrowed their eyes before yelling and crossing blades.
"Seriously!" Kiba yelled over the constant crash of metal, "You're going too far!"
"Cam down you two!" Tenten tried to mediate, "Why don't we settle this with a more peaceful - AAAGH! BLOOD! BLOOD RIGHT IN MY OPEN EYE! OH GOD!"
((((((((Hunted))))))))
"Almost there. Almost there. Almost there. Almost there." Jaune muttered to himself as he rushed for his dorm room. Once he was through the door, he slammed it behind him and slumped back against the wood. He reached into this bag and pulled out his copy, marveling at the game and holding it close. He took a deep whiff of it, "It's mine. It's all mi- oh hey guys."
"Jaune, there you are!" Nora and Ren came running up to their leader as he desperately hid what was in his hands behind his back, "We've been waiting for you!"
"W-Why, what's up?"
"We need to go."
Jaune blanked, "What?"
"Pyrrha and Gaara got into a fight in the city and caused some serious destruction! All the cops in Vale had to get together to stop them!"
"They tried contacting Ozpin and Goodwitch for help but they were preoccupied. Anyway, we need to go to the precinct to bail them out. It'll probably take a few hours so we were waiting...are you crying?"
Jaune sniffled, "It's not fair. It's not fair!"
((((((((Hunted))))))))
The teachers smiled as they inserted their games and watched the screens start to load. Port whispered, "It's beautiful."
"Truly, the wait was worth it." Oobleck followed.
"You can watch us for now Ozpin," Glynda appealed to the man beside them, "That should count for something, right?"
"GMMMMMMM!" The man in the body cast mumbled through the coverings on his face, wiggling around and struggling in his confines, "GGGRRRHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"I'm glad you see it our way."
((((((((Hunted))))))))
Mercury impatiently tapped his foot against he ground as he waited for Emerald to return. He stood on guard outside the room and dared not enter while Cinder was still in the middle of her process. A head of bright green hair walked into his peripheral after turning the corner. He pushed off the wall, "Package make it through?"
"Yeah, it reached her. Her followers or subordinates or whatever it is she has were the ones who answered. The one on the Scroll sounded seriously unhinged." The dark-skinned girl pocketed her Scroll before staring at the door to their room. She hesitated to look inside, "She's still in there?"
"Hasn't come out yet."
"I'm worried."
"She hasn't been in there that long."
"No I mean," Emerald's expression furrowed, "This can't be real right? Her love for this game or whatever has got to just be a ploy or something. Cinder is composed and brilliant and never lets herself be swayed by anything. There's no way any of this is actually real."
Mercury shrugged in understanding before opening the door and sliding it open slightly.
"~-me face, let me face, let me face my fears~!"
"How?!" Cinder wailed while blowing her nose into her tissue, "How do you face your fears? Tell me!"
Mercury slowly closed the door again while their leader bawled to the opening credits. He felt an unfamiliar pang of sympathy in his chest as he reached over and patted his crying partner on the shoulder.
((((((((Hunted))))))))
It was an unnatural sight for the three men to see the deathly pale woman sitting in a chair across from the game screen. Their Queen made no outward reaction or response while she played the game, merely sitting in silence as she made the characters move and jump at her whim.
She turned her head to one side, inspecting the screen while the jewels hanging from her hair jangled. She turned her head in the other direction, repeating the movement as if she was trying to locate something on the screen. Once she had settled back in place she continued with her playthrough.
"You know..."
The three men stood at attention as they awaited whatever command or decision their leader came to.
"Maybe destroying the world isn't totally necessary."
They stared at Salem in shock as she showed a small smile and made her character jump with a giggle.
The scorpion Faunus pouted, "Well that's a fucking copout if I've ever seen one."
((((((((Hunted))))))))
Done
So no here we are, on the cusp of the release. For some of us we have been anxiously waiting for some time after finally getting into the series. For others, like me, we've been waiting since we saw the message in a bottle with Mickey's mark on it after beating the original PS2 game.
My schedule is going to take a serious hit in the coming weeks while I play this game as much as possible. I'm going to have to get all my writing done at work! Work!
Anyway, I'm sure there are a lot of people that have been waiting to see this game finally come out, but I'm sure we know a few people hat never got to see this day come. Monty was an avid fan of both Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, as he made pretty obvious in his original Dead Fantasy animations. He never got to see FFXV come out, and he didn't get to see Kingdom Hearts 3 come out either.
Let's play it and enjoy the fun not just for ourselves, but for the people that never saw it release.
This is the end of the constant Hunted releases. I'm going back to regular writing and my other stories now. Already working on them.
Hopefully they'll be out soon, but not soon enough because I'll be gaming for a little bit.
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Thank You and Bye
