The Warners Invade Hollow Bastion
Chapter 3: Scherzo Di Notte
Over in another part of Hollow Bastion, around the Marketplace district, was a small cottage. In this cottage lived Mindy and her pet dog, Buttons. Buttons was sleeping in the corner of the living room while Mindy played with her toy ball. Mindy was dressed in a Moogle costume: a pair of white, footie-pajamas with matching mittens and a hood with a red pom-pom on top. Mindy happily played with her ball. Buttons opened one eye, watching Mindy play. He soon closed it and went back to napping. Just then, Mindy's mother entered the room.
"Mindy!" Mindy's mom addressed he daughter, "Mommy's going to go to her job now. You be a good little girl while mommy's away, and don't mess up your cute, new Moogle outfit!"
"Okay lady, Kupo!" Mindy merrily answered, looking up at her mother.
Mindy's mother sighed heavily.
"For the last time, Mindy hun, Don't call me lady!" Mindy's mother replied softly, "Call me Mommy, Mama, even Mother!"
"Okay lady! I Love You! Bye-Bye!" Midy said, bouncing her ball, "KUPO!"
Mindy's mother then stepped towards Buttons. Buttons awoke and looked up.
"Buttons!" Mindy's mother said, "You keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't ruin her new outfit! I paid 750 Munny for it!"
Buttons stood up and saluted with his right ear. Mindy's mother petted Buttons and then left out of the door. She closed it behind her, but just barely, accidentally leaving it open a crack. Buttons went back to sleep.
Mindy continued to play with her ball. A little bit later, Mindy discovered a moggle flying by the window. She immediately forsaked her ball and kept her attention on the moogle.
"Moogle!" she exclaimed, "Kupo!"
The moogle soon passed the house and went out of Mindy's sight. Fascinated by the creature, she picked herself up and walked to the door. Since the door was barley closed, Mindy was able to push it open and walk out into the street. She looked down the street and saw the moogle fly off in the distance.
"Kupo!" she said, running in the moogle's direction.
Buttons was still sleeping. He opened his one eye again, looking at where Mindy use to be. He closed it again, going back to sleep. In a few seconds, he bulged his eyes open, realizing that Mindy was gone. He yelped, shot up, and raced to Mindy's former play place. He looked around the room frantically. He then noticed the door open. His jaw dropped in fright. He raced out of the door and into the street, barking frantically.
At the end of the secret passageway, Pinky and the Brain stumbled upon Ansem's computer room. Pinky wass at awe.
"Egad Brain!" Pinky exclaims. "Look at the size of the computer! You think you can play Bejeweled on it, Zoink?"
Brain just rolled his eyes at his sidekick.
"We have more important things to work on than some mindless computer game!" he retorted.
Brain then walked over and climbed up onto the keyboard, Pinky following him. Brain hit a few keys with his foot. Several things popped up onto the screen. Brain studied them carefully.
"Apparently this computer is being used by the local denizens for the town's security system." He said, "There also seems to be a database on Xenahort's research. If I'm correct, this computer must also control Xenahort's heartless machine."
Brain began to dance a little on the keyboard, tapping on the various buttons. Soon, a window appeared on screen.
"Heartless Man-ooh-factory" Pinky read.
"The Heartless Manufactory!" Brain said. "This is it Pinky!"
Brain then pushed the enter key on the keyboard, which selected the Activate Heartless Manufactory button. Soon, the warming up of machinery could be heard below. Brain and Pinky focused their attention down there. Brain jumped down and ran to the blacony's edge. Pinky followed.
They peered over the balcony to the room below. There, a large mechanical arm hovered over a small pad. The electrode on the arm then shot an electric spark onto the pad. A bolt of lighting then surged onto it. A solider heartless then appeared where the bolt struck. It jumped and walked off. Another bolt struck, and another heartless appeared.
"NAAAARRFFFF!" Pinky exclaimed in awe.
"YES!" Brain gladly yelled.
"Alright everyone!" Cid announced. "Time to start the meeting! Everyone find a seat!"
Cid stood before an easel with a large pad on it. A few foldable chairs were placed in front of him.
Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie each took a seat in a chair. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot followed. However, rather than take a seat, each sibling sat on another person's lap, much to that person's dismay. Yakko sat on Aerith's lap, Wakko on Yuffie's, and Dot on Leon's. Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie were both confused and irritated by this.
"What are you doing?" Leon asked, trying to keep his cool.
"The redneck told us to sit down!" Yakko answered.
"Well, there are plenty of other seats!" Yuffie responded.
Dot snuggled into Leon's lap.
"Actually, I sorta like where I'm sitting!" she said.
"SAME HERE!" Yakko and Wakko said.
Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie took each Warner and threw them into the seat beside them. The Warners just glared in annoyance, crossing their arms.
"Well!" Yakko uttered.
Cid cleared his throat.
"The meeting of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee will now come to order!" Cid proclaimed, "Any questions before we begin?"
Wakko raised his hand.
"Yes, kid!" Cid said, pointing to Wakko.
"Are there any refreshments at this meeting?" Wakko asked.
"I made some cookies and lemonade" Aerith answered, pointing to a nearby table. Wakko jumped out of his seat and rushed over to the table. He picked the plate of cookies up and tossed the entire batch into his mouth. After placing the empty plate aside, he then took the pitcher and guzzled down the lemonade. He tossed aside the pitcher, and gave out a huge belch.
"Lemonade was salty!" he said. (If you read volume two of the manga, you'll get this one)
Wakko walked back to his seat happily. He sat down, the others -- Yakko and Dot included -- looking at him in either disdain, disgust, or both.
"Now that the glorious absence of manners is over with," Cid said, hinting at Wakko, "We can get the meeting started. We'll start with old business."
Yakko then raised his hand.
"I'd like to give the report for old business!" he called.
"You can't!" Cid replied, "You weren't here last time!"
"I would have if I received the memo!" Yakko retorted, hands on hips.
"What memo?" Cid asked, "This is your first time here!"
"Which wouldn't be if I had the memo!" Yakko replied.
Cid slapped his hand on his forehead, grunting silently.
"Let's move on to expenses!" he said, gritting his teeth and trying to remain calm.
Cid then turned over a page in the pad, revealing a pie chart.
"According to this pie chart," He said, pointing at the pad, "Our initial budget has…"
Dot raised her hand.
"I'm afraid to ask!" Cid said to himself, holding his head, "What is it?"
"What flavor pie is it?" Dot asked, pointing at the chart.
"This here is no PIE!" Cid retorted, pointing at the pie, 'It's a PIE chart!"
"I know!" Dot said, "But what flavor is it?"
Before Cid could say anything, Wakko ran over to the pad and, cartoonily, pulled the pie chart out of the pad. He then swallowed the whole thing. Cid was flabbergasted. Wakko licked and smacked his lips a few times.
"BLUEBERRY!" Wakko exclaimed. He then gave out a satisfying burp!
"SIT DOWN!" Cid yelled.
Wakko ran back to his seat.
"We'll move onto the restoration progress!" Cid said, trying to restrain himself. He turned the page on the pad over to a map of Hollow Bastion.
"Over the past month," he stated, pointing to the map, "Much has been accomplished! We've seen vast improvement in the marketplace district, the restoration site, and the purple angry face with the words 'big meanie' over it…WHAT!"
Cid realized that SOMEONE sneaked over and drew an angry face, preferably one resembling Cid's, with the words 'big meanie' over it. It was all drawn in purple crayon. Cid's face began to become slightly red as the three warners snickered in their seats.
"Alright!" He said angrily, pointing at all three Warner siblings, "Which one of yah little rascals did that?"
"What made you think it was one of us?" Wakko asked.
"Maybe it was dead girl!" Dot said, pointing to Aerith.
"I'm not dead!" Aerith replied.
"Why are you acting like this?" Leon asked, feeling exasperated.
"We're not acting!" Yakko replied, "We're always like this!"
"Aren't we lucky?" Wakko asked.
Cid groaned angrily. Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith just sighed.
In the heartless manufactory, Brain and Pinky stood overhead on the balcony in the room brimming with a multitude of heartless, all scurrying about. Brain then raised his hands in the air.
"Heartless, hear me!" Brain called out in a mighty voice.
Several of the heartless looked up at the Brain. Soon all the heartless paid their attention to Brain.
"I am your creator, your master!" the Brain announced, "You shall all do as I say!"
The heartless all began to frantically jump up and down, shrieking in agreement.
"Go forth into the town of Hollow Bastion, and lay waste to all!" Brain continued, "Destroy everything! Exterminate every able-bodied person! Eradicate the resistance, so that I, the Brain, shall conquer and rule the remaining weak! Hollow Bastion shall be mine, and in turn, YOURS!"
The heartless all cheered and jumped for elation.
"GO FORTH AND CONQUER!" Brain exclaimed.
A large door in the room opened to the outside. The heartless flocked out through the door, clearing out the entire room.
"Hail the Brain!" Pinky said, saluting, "Zoink!"
Back in the borough, Mindy was still chasing after the moogle.
"Moogle, Kupo!" Mindy squealed, jogging along merrily.
Just then, the moogle disappeared into thin air. Mindy stopped dead in her tracks and stared curiously. Mindy than cheered in mere bliss.
"Moogle go bye-bye!" Mindy squealed cheerfully, waving her hand, "Kupo!"
Buttons then entered the lane, barking after Mindy. She turned around and faced her faithful dog with arms out.
"Buttons!" she said as Buttons neared, "Kupo!"
Buttons ran up to Mindy, who embraced him in a hug.
"Silly Puppy!" she said.
A strange noise was then heard. Mindy and Buttons raised their heads in wonder. Suddenly, a batch of solider heartless appeared before them, standing, staggering back and forth. Buttons gasped in horror. Mindy just giggled in delight.
"Shadow people!" she said happily.
A solider heartless then leapt forwards towards Mindy. It almost pounced on her, but Buttons jumped before her and slashed it with his claws. The heartless vaporized in thin air. Buttons stood before Mindy, growling ferociously with his fur standing up on his back.
The heartless began to dance a bit before they attacked. Each began to race towards Mindy and Buttons. Before a single on could touch a hair on Mindy, Buttons managed to either claw or bite at the heartless, vaporizing it. Buttons managed to overcome the group of heartless.
Buttons was panting heavily, tired from the fighting. Mindy waddled over to Buttons and put her arms around his neck.
"Poor silly puppy!" she said, "Tired Buttons!"
Unexpectedly, another group of heartless appeared consisting of three soilders, two air bandits, and a large body. The heatless gazed menacingly at the two. Buttons quivered in fear while Mindy just giggled in obliviousness. The heartless charged towards the two.
Before the heartless could attack, a figure jumped out from behind Mindy and Buttons, attacking the heartless. It was Tifa.
"Think again!" she exclaimed, kicking away the solider heartless.
She then punched away the air bandits and then punched and kicked off the large body. After all the heartless were destroyed, she knelt down on her knees, panting slightly. She then picked herself up and raced towards Mindy!
"Are you alright kid?" she asked Mindy.
'Hello there Mrs. Lady ma'am!" Mindy replied, "Kupo!"
"It's not safe for a little girl like you to be out here by yourself!" Tifa said.
She then grabbed Mindy by the arm.
"Come with me!" she said as she raced down the lane, pulling Mindy behind her.
Buttons followed suit, barking.
"Let's move on, now!" Cid announced. He then threw a glance at the three Warners.
"And I do not want to hear another peep out of you three!" he stated.
"PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!" The three squealed somewhat innocently.
"Stop Peeping!" Cid snapped.
"PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!"
Stop it right now!"
"PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!"
Before Cid could say anything, the door flew open. Everyone turned around to see Tifa run in holding Mindy and with Buttons racing behind her.
"Tifa!" Yuffie said.
"We have trouble!" Tifa exclaimed.
In a split second, Yakko and Wakko leapt into Tifa's arms.
"HELLLOOOOO NURSE!" they exclaimed.
Tifa was rather startled and disturbed by this. She glanced confusingly at the others.
"Don't ask!" Leon said before Tifa could ask anything.
Tifa dropped the two on the ground.
"The heartless are back!" Tifa said.
"What?" exclaimed everyone (except the Warner siblings and Mindy) in shock.
"The town's been overrun with them!" Tifa replied, "People have reported mobs of them swarming from the castle!"
Leon then ran for his Gunblade, which was lying across the room. He snatched it from against the wall.
"Looks like we need to take action crew!" Leon announced, "Everyone move out!"
"Right!" Everyone excluding the Warners and Mindy replied.
Yuffie, Aerith, and Yuffie ran to get their weapons. They along with Leon raced out the door. Tifa knelt and faced Mindy.
"Now you stay here kid where it's safe" Tifa said.
Tifa then got up and ran out the door.
"Okay! I Love You! Bye-Bye!" Mindy called, waving.
"C'mon Sibs!" Yakko said, "Let's see if we can lend a hand?"
Wakko then reached behind himself and pulled out a large hand.
"Not literally!" Dot said, shaking her head.
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot then ran to the door.
Earlier, the Gullwings had picked themselves up and dusted themselves off.
"Is it just me, or are we experiencing major mojo today?" Yuna asked.
"Tell me about it!" Paine replied, "First we get squashed by a giant fly swatter, and then we get zapped by a bug zapper!"
"At least things can't get any…" Rikku said; but before she could finish, Paine slapped her hand over Rikku's mouth.
"NEVER SAY THAT!" Paine shouted, "It only makes things…"
Just then, Tifa came running down the street with Mindy and Buttons. Tifa ran to the door, not noticing the Gullwings at all, and opened the door with full force. The door came flying at the Gullwings at top speed. It slammed against the wall, squashing the Gullwings. The door slowly reversed direction, revealing the three flat as pancakes.
"Worse!" Paine moaned in pain.
The poor faries managed to pop back cartoonily into three-dimensions.
"At least it won't happen…" Rikku said.
She was cut off by the door slamming back into the wall with the Gullwings with it. Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid bolted out. The door slowly opened revealing the faerie trio as pancakes, only to slam aginst the wall again with Tifa racing out. The faeries painfully reverted back to full form, quite dazed and disoriented.
"If it happens one more time I'll…" Paine exclaimed.
She was cut off with the Warners charging out the door, making it slam against the Gullwings a third time. Once again the Gullwings were pancakes on the wall.
"Third…times…the…charm!" Rikku uttered.
"Moron" Paine replied, in pain.
Mindy and Buttons sat alone in Merlin's house. Buttons was anxious, as Mindy's mother would probably be home really soon. He turned to get Mindy, but she was nowhere to be found. Buttons scanned the room hectically to find Mindy. He managed to spot her near a pile of books. Mindy picked one out from the middle of a tall pile.
"Bookie, Kupo!" Mindy said as she pulled the book out.
The pile swayed wildly after Mindy pulled the book out from it. It began to lean towards Mindy. Buttons was frightened by this, afraid that it would fall on Mindy! He raced frantically towards her. Mindy managed to move out of the way as the books began to fall. Unfortunately, the books fell atop Buttons, burying him in a massive book pile.
Mindy, meanwhile sat down on the floor and gazed at the book's cover. It was none other than Merlin's magical "Winnie the Pooh" book.
"Bear!" Mindy cheered, pointing to the picture of Winnie the Pooh.
She gleefully opened the book, revealing the pop up section of the Hundred Acre Woods.
"Oohhh!" Mindy cheered, fascinated by the pop-ups, "Kupo!"
The book began to glow in a bright, white light. Buttons poked his head out of the pile. He saw as the book began to glow. He yelped in panic and raced towards Mindy. Just then, both Mindy and Buttons were pulled into the book by magic. Buttons yelped while Mindy giggled. They both disappeared as the book collapsed onto the floor.
Looks like you were right BrokenHeartless! At first, Buttons and Mindy weren't going to be in it; but being the Animaniacs fanatic I am, I decided to add a small sideplot to the story! As for Alissaduke88, While I won't dedicate an entire sideplot to Slappy and Skippy, they will make a cameo apperance in the fic somewhere along the line!
Please R&R!