Chapter XLII: The Old Mansion
Nightshroud: Good guesses, and to be sure both will show up relatively soon, but one of you did get it right. Kudos to you! 8D I'm glad you like the outfits! If I was a better artist I would draw them, but I reek at drawing haha. I have a friend that's really good at drawing chibis, so maybe I'll ask her to try. Anyway, all Namé fans will enjoy this chapter. She's not going to be a sideliner this time. Woo woo! Also I've decided to divide this story into four "seasons." I came up with theme songs for each of them. Check my profile for that. 8D
Yen Sid-
Wise and powerful sorcerer who taught King Mickey. He gave infromation to Reyna and Co. as to the whereabouts and the plans of Amnael and the Organization.
Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather-
Three good fairies who provided new clothes for Reyna and Co., also imbuing them with special powers to help them on the rest of their journey.
The three took the train back into town. Once they exited the train station, they were again attacked by Heartless. Shadows and Soldiers emerged all around them. Namé looked at her staff as she remember what the three fairies had said.
"Yes, for Namé, her outfit increases her magical abilites, allowing her to cast higher level spells."
Namé smiled. "Let's put that two the test."
She raised her staff and called, "Thundaja!"
Huge bolts of lightning rained down and the Heartless, destroying them all.
"Woah, Namé," said Reyna, staring in awe. Tyson blinked in shock.
"Way to go, sis."
The three started to run toward the back alley when more Heartless appeared. Suddenly a man with blond hair and a scratch just like Leon's and a man with black hair carying a large weighted staff jumped out and cut through the Heartless.
"You need to get to the Old Mansion, right?" asked Seifer.
"Yeah," said Reyna.
"Then go through the Underground Concourse. That opening over they will take you down. It's the fastest way, ya know?" said Rai.
"Thanks," said Tyson, as the three ran.
"Good thing that King told us to help them out, or we'd have been overrun before they made it there," said Seifer as he swung his Gunblade through them.
"The town will be safe as long as you're around, ya know?"
"Unbeatable," said Fuu as she approached. Rai rolled his eyes and followed after the other two.
The three entered into the Underground Concourse. Neoshadows appeared and lunged at them. Reyna pulled out hert whip and slashed through one that had leaped into the air at her. Tyson aimed his keyblade and shot forward, zig-zagging and slicing through the Heartless.
"Sonic Rave!"
Reyna ran ahead and sliced through the Soldiers blocking the way up.
"We made it to the Tram Common," said Reyna from the top of the stairs.
"Good, then we just need to go through the Woods and we're at the Old Mansion," said Tyson, recalling Yen Sid's directions.
The three emerged into the Tram Common, only to have Air Soldier and Soldier Heartless appear.
"We have to force our way through!" said Reyna. The other two nodded and they leaped at the Heartless.
"Halo Shuriken!"
Little halos appeared around Reyna's arms, and she began to throw them like shuriken, slicing through the Heartless with ease.
"The fairies were right..." said Reyna to herself.
"Fire Raid!" said Tyson. He hurked his flaming keyblade through the Heartless, cutting a line through them. Before it could return to him, an Air Soldier swooped down and knocked him off his feet. Soldiers began to leap on him and claw.
"Blizzaja!"
Large ice crystals flew over him and impaled the Soldiers. Tyson got up and smiled.
"Thanks."
"No prob."
They passed through the Woods and made it to the Old Mansion. They stood in front of the gate, wondering how to get in. Tyson looked at the keyblade, then jumped back and aimed it at the keyhole. A thin beam shot from it, and the gates swung open.
"Good thinking," said Reyna with a laugh.
They passed through the deserted courtyard and pushed open the doors.
"Wow," said Namé as the walked into the Mansion Foyer. They heard a snicker and looked up to see Valon and Alister, sitting and standing respectively, on the banister at the top of the stairs. Tyson growled and stepped forward.
"What do you guys want?" he barked at them.
"How rude," said Alister with a scowl. Valon laughed and crossed his arms.
"You need to lighten up, mate. No need to shout at us."
"Well, you can't be up to any good," said Reyna. Valon put a finger to his chin and gazed upward thoughtfully.
"Eh, good point," he said. Alister rolled his eyes and glared at them.
"If you want to get to the keyhole, you'll have to get through-"
"You? Gladly," said Tyson.
"Actually, mate, we have other things we need to attend to. You and me need to have a fight soon," Valon said cheerfully.
"Anyway, you'll be facing someone we picked out for you."
"Who?" asked Namé. Suddenly the ground splintered upward near them and a starnge creature leaped out at them. They jumped back as it swiped at them, then jumped backward and landed at the base of the steps.
"I just have to kill them, and you'll give me a piece of the magic stone, right?" asked the person.
"Yeah yeah, Rando, just do it right."
With that, Valon and Alister vanished through a portal. Rando leered at them and hunched over.
"Now, then, shall I kil you one by one, or all at once?" he asked. Namé looked at Rando, blue skinned with long black hair, a blue spider tattoo covering his face, and black symbols along his arms and chest. He wasn't wearing any clothes besides a loin cloth. She defiantly stepped forward and eyed him.
"I'll fight you."
"Namé, you can't!" said Tyson, grabbing her arm.
"He's right. You're not suited to up-close combat," said Reyna.
"Then it's time I learned." She pulled away from Tyson's arm and pointed her staff at Rando.
"Let's go then."
"Hehe, it's your funeral."
Rando leaped at her with incredible speed and swiped at her.
"Firaja!"
She launched a large fireball that slammed him in the stomach and blasted him into the wall. He growled and pushed off the wall, leaping at her again. This time he managed to kick her and launch her across the floor. She staggered up as he ran at her and swiped at her with his claws. She dodged to the side and cut across his side with the edge of the crescent moon on her staff. She jumped away as he grinned and placed a hand to his side, wiping the blood on it.
"Foolish girl, you just helped me unleash my powers."
He threw the blood on his hand at her.
"Blades of Blood!"
The blood formed into sickel shapes. Namé gasped and ducked away as they cut into the wall. When she looked up, Rando was in front of her, and backhanded her face. She fell to the ground, and immediately had to roll to the side as more of Rando's Blades of Blood cut into the floor near her. As Rando ran at her, she lifted her staff and slammed into the ground.
"Spell Imapct!"
She sent of a shockwave that blasted him backward. While he was in midair, she pointed her staff at him. (think of how Gandalf and Saruman from the Lord of the Rings would point their staves and blast people backward. That's what this next moveis like.)
"Spell Blast!"
Rando was blasted in midair into the wall.
"Gravija!"
Then he was slammed from the wall to the ground, crushed by extreme gravity. When Rando didn't move, she figured he was done. She turned back to face the other two, when she noticed the panicked looks on their faces.
"Namé!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rando run up to her.
"Vampire Drain!"
His claws turned red and sliced through her side. She stumbled back, examining where he had slashed her. The skin wasn't broke, nor her clothes torn. But she noticed that she had turned rather white, and that she felt dizzy. Then she realized it.
"He stole blood out of me," she said weakly.
"Hehe, you figured it out," he said cunningly. He touched the blood on his side again.
"Blades of Blood!"
"Refleja!"
The sickles of blood clashed against the shield, but couldn't pierce through. But because she was weak, the shield faded away quickly. She gasped as Rando ran up and rammed his shoulder into her, knocking her to the ground. She gasped for air as she heard him call out another attack.
"Blood Scylla!"
A portal opened beneath him. He began to sink into it as shadowy red tentacles shot out and grabbed Namé. She struggled as they proceeded to pull her towards the portal.
"I'll drag you to hell!" Rando said wickedly. She pulled as hard as she could and freed her right arm. She summoned her staff as she got closer to Rando.
"Southern Cross!"
The orb in her staff glowed white, and a white cross appeared on the ground around them. It began to glow, causing Rando to scream as it grew brighter and energy began to emerge from it.
"No, it can't be! Aaaah!"
Reyna, Tyson, and Namé shielded their eyes as everything became completely white. When they opened their eyes, their was no trace left of Rando.
"Good riddance," said Tyson with disgust. Reyna ran over an helped Namé up.
"Namé, you were awesome! That was so incredible!"
"Thanks," she said, slightly embarrassed. Tyson scratched the back of his neck and grinned.
"I guess you proved me wrong," he offered. She laughed and stuck her tongue at him.
"Told you I could. I'm never wrong," she said as she started up the steps.
"Oh, really? What about the time-"
"Don't start!" said Reyna with a giggle. They climbed the stairs and searched the two floors. Reyna went to the right, and Tyson and Namé to the left.
"Huh. This is a pretty weird room," said Tyson as they walked in. It was completely white, with a white table and two white chairs. Namé touched one and suddenly got a starnge feeling.
"This place...it reminds me of mom," she said. Her brother looked at her.
"Really? I get the same feeling."
"Hey, you guys!" they heard Reyna call. Tyson ran out of the room, but Namé stopped for a moment. She looked back and smiled at the room.
"I miss you, mom and dad."
Reyna stood in the library as Tyson and Namé came in. She had touched a statue on the bookcase, and the floor moved to reveal a passage downward.
"Let's go. I feel that the keyhole is down there somewhere," Reyna said to them.
They followed the stairs down into a computer room. Reyna didn't sense it there, so they passed through the Basement Hall and into the Basement Corridor, which had peculiar spods along the sides.
"I sense it up ahead."
They passed into the Pod Room, completely white except for some green circles around another pod. As they approached, the pod opened and the keyhole shone from inside it. Tyson held up his keyblade, which shot a thin beam and locked it. Then Reyna floated into the air, her heart shining white and transparent wings on her back. The keyhole flashed white, then disappeared.
"Whew, that's done," said Tyson. Reyna nodded.
"Where do we go next?" asked Namé.
"We should head to Radiant Garden. Master Yen Sid said we'd find Amnael there."
A figure sat inside a gummi ship, admiring his new outfit, courtesy of Yen Sid and the three fairies. He looked up and saw the Highwind take off.
"It's about time. I was wondering if something happened."
He turned the ship on and took off after them.
"I'd better follow them. Who knows? Maybe I'll decide to help them out," he said with a smile.
Rando-
A strange fighter summoned by Valon and Alister to fight Reyna and Co. in the Old Mansion. He wielded the element of blood in battle.
Nightshroud: And they're off to Radiant Garden, right? Wrong! One more stop for our heros. Hope ou liked the chapter. I had to throw in another character for the mansion fight, since I didn't originally plan it, and the other members already have their fights later, so it would have thrown things off. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Review and breathlessly await the next world, all new! Three parts too, a rather long one, with a shocking appearance. Is it our mysterious new person? Hehe...
Next chapter: Off Course: In the Ruins of Mosel