KINGDOM HEARTS III: Final Mix
Disclaimer: I do not own the story or characters featured in this story. They are the sole creation of the Walt Disney Co., PIXAR, Marvel Comics, Tetsuya Nomura, and Square Enix. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy.
WARNING! Contains story spoilers for Kingdom Hearts III, so read with caution if you haven't played the game yet.
Chapter 9: The Youthful Seer, a Brave Consult and a Culinary Rodent
After the team traveled through the rest of the town, they went to where they knew the Mansion path was before, only to find it patched up with bricks.
"What's the big idea?!" Donald quacked.
"Right, you all probably didn't know, but the town's new mayor wanted the path to the Mansion boarded up. I can't remember why, but he said he didn't want people stumbling in on something important there," Vivi told the confused trio.
"Sounds kind of suspicious... but I guess we'll have to find another way in there," Sora remarked, as they kept looking around for points of entry, coming up short until they noticed a young girl wandering around a corner toward the Underground concourse. "Guys, let's try over that way!"
Sora and the team then continued through the sewers that made up the Underground path, until they saw the girl lying unconscious with Shadow Heartless and feline-like Heartless hiding inside pots surrounding her in a circle.
"We have to help her," Donald called out as the four heroes got into fighting, with Vivi taking out a cluster of them with a strong Blizzard spell, after which he smacked them across the elongated pathway like a curling marker for Sora to finish them off. After the Heartless were defeated, the team ran over to the girl to see if she was okay.
"She's all right; just passed out, that's all," Sora said after checking her vital signs. Donald then proceeded to use a Cure spell on the girl to ease her fatigue as she woke up, summoning a broadsword in her right hand, springing up into attack position still thinking she was under attack.
"Whoa, easy! We're all friends here," Goofy assured, as she lowered her weapon. "What are you doin' all the way out here?"
"Sorry, those tiny ant thingies got the jump on me. I was going down towards the Old Mansion because there's something down there that I think can help me find someone," the girl explained.
"Hold on! I think I remember who you are now! You're Serah, right?" Vivi exclaimed as he seemed to remember something about the girl.
"Yup, that's me. Serah Farron, at your service," the girl replied, introducing herself. "I guess Edea is helping to prep the Struggle tournament for this year, and you slipped away from that?"
"Edea?" Sora and the others asked Vivi and Serah in confusion.
"Edea's a nice lady who runs a home for troubled youth here in Twilight Town. Seifer always saw her like a mother, since he always said around me, Rai, and Fuu, that he never knew his real one. She also looks after the two of us as well," Vivi explained.
"We're looking for a way to bring back Roxas," Goofy mentioned.
"Roxas? Who's that?" Serah asked.
"Roxas is... well, he's a friend that needs my help. We're like brothers in a way," Sora told Serah.
"Oh, I see. So he's like Lightning," Serah replied, understanding what Sora was saying about Roxas.
"Lightning? Who is that?" Donald and Goofy asked, unaware that Serah suddenly had a vision in the back of her mind that the tide of Heartless from before was rushing to attack them. Instinctively, she then summoned her broadsword forth and jumped in front of the group.
"Look out!" Serah cried as she cut the swarm in half with a broadsword slash. "Do something! I can't hold them off forever!" Sora and the others got into their battle stance, as Goofy called Sora and Donald over for a Trinity attack.
"Vivi, we need ya to cast a shield spell quick!" Goofy told Vivi, whose eyes widened in shock.
"R-really? Well, I'll try!" Vivi answered, as he focused his energy into the spell and then unleashed it. "Barrier!"
"Now!" Goofy called, as Sora and his two friends charged through the swarm with Goofy's shield, eliminating the threat.
"That took care of 'em. Now, I think we'd better run before one of those come back," Serah told the others as they began to run ahead through a cellar door opening in the distance.
"You didn't answer our question though! Who is Lightning, and how did you know that swarm was coming back?" Sora asked.
"I'll explain everything once we're inside the mansion," Serah replied. "Those doors are gonna lead us into the Forest outside!" Soon enough, the heroes managed to escape from the underground and end up taking in the fresh air of the words.
"Finally, we're out of that stuffy tunnel!" Donald remarked as the group continued onward, only to duck as they saw fruit being flung at them.
"Hey, mind the ingredients, you ruffians! We have no quarrel with you, so just let us go on our way!" a man shouted at the Heartless that were throwing the fruit.
"Looks like trouble; it's a good thing we're here now," Sora suggested as they ran up to help, noticing a rat perched on top of a tree branch trying to avoid getting swiped at by Heartless.
Remy's POV
I know what you all must be thinking: what's a rat doing in a dangerous part of the woods like this? Well, my name is Remy, and I think it's increasingly apparent I need to rethink my life a little bit. So what's the problem? First of all, with being a rat, life is hard. And second, I have a highly developed sense of taste and smell. Back in the world I called home, the work of Chef Gusteau drove me to become a chef, and now that drive brought me here. Yeah, it's all crazy in a new world, but it isn't completely terrible. That new chef, I think he's called Ignis, is nice and formidable in combat, so it gives me peace of mind to find ingredients without too much bother. But seriously, I think now we might've bit off more than we can chew- no pun intended. If Dad knew this is how my life would end, he'd be turning over top of Ma's grave. Not death by humans, but death by... whatever these things are... huh? Looks like the cavalry must've heard us calling for rescue. But are they good enough to take these creatures out? I honestly don't think I can last much longer!
Sora and the others arrived next to the man who was holding off a group of Powerwilds with daggers, but was beginning to become worn down.
"Cure!" Vivi cried as he healed the man.
"Much obliged, children, but I think it's best that you get to safety. These monsters don't look like the kind of creatures you should take lightly," the man told Sora and the others.
"No way! We know how to handle these things!" Sora told the man as he equipped his Hero's Origin Keyblade.
"Well, if you're certain, then I'll help you in defeating them," the man answered as he resumed his battle stance. "My name is Ignis, by the way."
"I'm Sora, now let's take these Heartless down!" Sora replied as the team got to work taking out the enemies until the area was once again clear.
"Again, thank you for the assistance. The two of us were out gathering supplies before we were ambushed and as much as I hate to admit, we were ill prepared to counter this confrontation." Ignis told the heroes as the rat from earlier scurried down the tree and crawled up on his partner's shoulder.
"It's no big deal, that's just what friends do. Well, I guess we'll see you around again sometime," Sora told the two as the friends continued onward towards the Mansion once more.
"A rather bold sort of fellow he was, wouldn't you say?" Ignis asked the rat Remy, who nodded in agreement before peering down at the fruit on the ground, bending down to pick them up. "He could've been a little more considerate enough to help us pick all of this up, however. Well, I guess our boss will put him hard at work then, that much is guaranteed."
And that finishes this another chapter. If you noticed at the start of the chapter, there will be some Marvel representation in the story at some point, and Twilight Town's mysterious new mayor holds the key to who will be involved. I hope you enjoyed this little update, and remember to leave a review!