Book I: Serial Dilution
Chapter XXII: Ready As I'll Ever Be
In the darkness of Varian's laboratory, yellow-orange sparks flew. They flashed in Queen Arianna's green eyes, as she watched the alchemist work. His welding torch burned brightly, his green-eyed face mask giving his voice a ghostly sort of echo when he spoke…
"Any moment, now, Your Highness," Varian hissed with a sense of self-satisfaction.
Arianna shuddered as the boy tore off his mask and began to step down from the ladder. He looked up at the massive machine he worked on in the shadows as he went on.
"Believe me, I know, I've sunk pretty low…"
He glared at the Queen with a sneer.
"…But whatever I've done, you've deserved."
The teen turned away. The Queen bit her lip, then spoke up, hoping to reason with him one last time…
"Varian-"
"QUIET!" snapped the boy, eyes flaring up with a hint of insanity once more, before he stomped over to equipment table. Ruddiger had been seated on it, eating an apple…but as the boy moved closer, the raccoon whimpered and hopped off, bounding to the floor…just in time, as Varian slammed down his mask with a snarl. His chest shook, as his voice seemed shaky, as if he was trying to hold back a fit of hysterics…
"I'm the Bad Guy. That's FINE!" Varian growled, shaking his head as he picked up his hammer. "It's no fault of mine, and some justice, at last, will be served!"
"Please, listen!" the Queen tried again, but the alchemist didn't even seem to hear her plea. He walked past Arianna and once again ascended the ladder into the shadows, hammer ringing as he struck a nail or spike into position.
"Now," Varian's voice declared from it's spot in the shadows, "It's time to step up, or it's time to back down, and there's only one answer for me…"
Varian paused. Arianna sighed through her nose; she could hear the sadness, even the sense of regret, in his voice…why couldn't he just stop this? Why couldn't he-?
DING!
The chime of a brass bell brought the Mad Alchemist scrambling down his ladder. He dashed over to his chemistry set, as whatever he had been cooking up apparently had finished heating. The boy picked up a small, ball shaped container of glass, and a vial of glowing lavender-colored, viscous fluid.
"And I'll stand up and fight," Varian continued, as he filled the ball with the fluid and then tossed it in the air before catching it again in a self-satisfied manner…though the coldness on his face never wavered. "'Cause I KNOW that I'm right!"
Varian glanced towards his father. The darkness left his face, intense sorrow in his eyes…
"And I'm Ready…"
The darkness returned full force as he stepped away from the table, and into the shadows.
"…I'm Ready…"
He snarled, teeth bared in a villainous sneer, one gloved hand lifting and clenching dramatically, fingers grasping tight around something only Varian could see.
"…I'm Ready!"
Arianna flinched as the freckle-faced scientist flashed her an unhinged glare.
"…READY AS I'LL EVER BE!"
Meanwhile, at Corona Castle…
"The Captain's still recovering," sighed Stan.
"Yeah," Pete nodded sadly. "There's no way he can lead this assault."
"He said he might even slow us down," admitted Stan, dolefully.
Eugene Fitzherbert frowned and sighed through his nose, stroking his goatee. Around him, hooves shuffled as the guardsmen who were able to fight were all ready to make their charge.
"We'll make do with what we have," Flynn Rider said determinedly …then glanced back with a smirk as he heard a sigh and a giggle.
"Heh…holding up there, Donald?"
"I hate you all," the duck grumbled, pouting like a spoiled child as he had been forced into a Donald-sized purple dress and a long blonde wig.
"Gawrsh, I dunno," Goofy smiled teasingly. "I think ya look kinda purty in that getup!"
"WAAAAAAK!" Donald yapped back.
Flynn Rider rolled his eyes, and hopped up onto the saddle of Maximus, who sniggered at the predicament the waterfowl was in. Goofy had hopped upon another horse, and was taking great care not to tumble from the saddle. Pete and Stan soon clambered up onto horses of their own.
"Eugene," Pete said, nervously, "Do you think we can do this? I mean…sure, the kid's…well…a kid, but he's…"
"We can't hesitate now," Flynn said grimly. "Rapunzel's Mom – the Queen – is in danger."
"Right!" called a voice. "There's no turning back now!"
All eyes turned as a new figure entered the stables. A figure with bright blue eyes…
…Wielding a keyblade.
"Come to see us off?" Flynn smirked.
Sora nodded with a confident smile.
"Sort of. I've been ordered to give you all the go-ahead to ride out," he said.
"Gotcha," Eugene said, and Max nodded with a grunt of agreement. "On your signal, kiddo."
Sora nodded, and took a deep breath…
"Now," he said at length, "It's time to rise up, or it's time to stand down, and the answer is easy to see!"
The keybearer lifted one hand in the air…and in a flash of light, the keyblade appeared, held high over his head.
"And I swear by this sword! If you're in? Get on board!"
He lifted his free hand in a determined fist as he grinned at the rest of the team.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready!" Flynn answered.
"We're ready!" called Stan & Pete.
"We're ready!" chorused Donald, Goofy, and the Soldiers.
Sora laughed, and cheered in agreement.
"Ready As I'll Ever BE!"
On the last word, he swung his sword downwards…and almost like a set of racers waiting for the starting flag, the riders all reared their steeds up, and then galloped past him, his spiky hair rustling as dust clouds swarmed about him.
Sora watched his friends ride off till they were out of sight, then nodded to himself. His part here was done.
Now, he had other work to do.
Without another word, he dashed towards the nearest exit…
Beside a tree at the edge of the forest, a little ways behind the bridge that separated the capital of Corona from the mainland, Rapunzel stood in solemn silence. A pensive expression was on her face, a dark cloak wrapped about her shoulders, as she adjusted her hood and glanced about cautiously. In the shadows of her hood, Pascal also peeked out, flicking his chameleon eyes from side to side…
Then, the Princess' expression brightened as she finally spotted two figures striding towards her…
"There you are!" she chuckled.
"Yeah, sorry," Sora smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe got a liiiittle too into my signal to the others."
"Meanwhile, I had to make a stop in the kitchens," smiled the King – who had dressed in black leather armor – as he reached into a satchel at his side…
…And pulled out a frying pan, which had been decorated with an image of the Sun in its center.
Rapunzel's eyes lit up like a child receiving their favorite toy for Christmas.
"I'm told you're pretty handy with one of these," the King teased.
Rapunzel smirked, a mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes.
"Mm-hm. I sure am!" she practically sang, puffing her chest out with pride…then yelped as the King tossed the pan towards her, and she fumbled to catch it before it hit the ground.
Sora snickered and rolled his eyes.
The King glanced to both of the pair and paused, a look of worry clear on his features, bushy moustache bristling.
"Are you quite sure we can do this?" he asked.
Sora and Rapunzel looked to each other, then back to Frederic.
"Together, we will," Rapunzel beamed. "Guaranteed!"
The King smiled, nodded, and marched forward, as the three started on their way.
"I'LL MAKE THEM HEAR ME!"
Varian's howl echoed through the night from Quirin's Castle, as he lashed chains about the huge machine in the shadows.
The riders barreled up and down the hills, racing at top speed across the winding road that led from Corona's island capital to the densely-wooded mainland. The soldiers' voices assailed the night…
"Now it's time to redeem, or it's time to resolve, and the outcome will hardly come free…"
Sora tightened his grip on his keyblade as he, the Princess, and the King all sprinted through the forests surrounding the road, taking advantage of the lush foliage to move in secret. They hopped over logs, plunged through the hollows, and batted away branches as they quickly and quietly moved through the woods.
Soon enough, Quirin's castle came in sight. Sora took a deep breath and flexed his fingers around the hilt of his weapon, pausing as he stared at his own trademark weapon.
"Prove they can trust me," he whispered to himself.
Unknown to the Keyblade Master, Rapunzel had paused as well. She glanced back at Sora with a look of empathy…
…Then looked towards the Alchemist's lair in the distance, as her eyes hardened once more.
"I'll save my home and family."
The riders rode harder and faster, their expressions hardening as they began to brace themselves. They were drawing closer and closer to the old castle in the distance, the trees parting as they made their way towards the battle to come. Stan & Pete looked to each other grimly, as they and the other guards continued their chant…
"Now the line's in the sand, and our moment's at hand…"
"And I'm Ready!" bellowed Flynn Rider, drawing his sword.
"We're ready!" cheered Donald and Goofy.
Yards away from the back of Quirin's Castle, Sora, Rapunzel, and King Frederic peeked out from a patch of bushes. They looked to each other and nodded.
"We're ready," they hissed stealthily.
Inside the Castle, Varian watched as he saw the horses moving towards his location, while behind him, the machine was lowered into place by automatic pulleys. His fingers clenched into fists as a shock of blonde hair caught his attention…
He slowly turned…and grinned at the Queen, who instinctively found her hand reaching towards her throat at the look in those enormous, far-too-bright blue eyes.
Varian grinned wider yet.
"Ready As I'll Ever Be."