Fipp: A thanks to Sakura Sama 101 for giving me some assistance on this chapter.
And this must be my most plot driven chapter for this story yet.
II
Richard
"Look at this place," Sora said to Donald and Goofy as they approached what was once Maleficent's castle, which rested just outside Radiant Garden.
"It look real creepy," Goofy said. "Are you sure Squall wanted us to check it out?"
Donald nodded. "He said that a lot of Heartless were appearing lately, and he wanted us to check it out."
They were about to proceed forward when the front doors exploded, then, out from the smoke, jumped out a man in armor.
He landed on the ground and slid backwards until he wasn't too far from where he started.
"Damn," he rasped.
"YOU!" the three heroes yelled, getting the armored man's attention. "You're the guy who attacked us!"
The man raised an eyebrow under his helmet. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen any of you before in my life."
"You attacked us in that cave!" Donald yelled.
"What are you talking about?"
"Some guy that looks like you attacked us in a cave last week!" Sora pointed his Keyblade at him. "Same kind of armor, and same kind of weapon."
"But, that's impossible," the man said. "It sounds like you were attacked by a Dragoon, but I am the last of them."
"Are we sure this is the same guy?" Goofy asked. "He sounds different then the last guy."
"I think so too," Sora said.
"Well I'm not convinced," Donald growled.
"Whatever trouble you had with this man, we can discuss later, as we are in much trouble," the man said.
"Trouble?" Sora asked. "What kind of trouble?"
"That."
The three of them turned to the door from which the Dragoon came from to see several figures clad in black armor approaching them.
"Are those, Heartless?" Sora asked, readying his weapon, just as Donald and Goofy.
"While that is not impossible," the Dragoon said. "I sense something more sinister at work here."
"If they're not Heartless, then what are they?" Donald asked.
"That is what I came here to investigate, but it would seem that we must retreat for now." He put his fingers in his mouth and blew a ear-splitting whistle.
Seconds later, a loud roar filled the air, and a large dragon swooped down from the sky, quickly scattered the dark soldiers, while bathing them in fire, before landing on the ground by the Dragoon. He then jumped onto the beast's back.
"Hurry!" he called out. "Get on! We must flee!"
Sora looked to the flaming soldiers to see them standing up, while more poured in from the door.
Seeing no choice, they jumped onto the dragon's back, and fled into the sky.
Leila
"Who do you think it is?" Sora asked.
They had just arrived back to the city, and had spoken with Squall. After some investigation, they had learned that someone had taken up residence in Maleficent's castle.
Question is, who?
"And what were those things that attacked us?" Goofy asked.
"There's got to be someone who knows something," Donald sighed to himself.
"You guys looking for information?" The three stopped in their walking and turned around to an alley opening. There, they saw a young woman wearing a bandana, leaning against the wall.
"Who are you?" Sora asked.
"Me name's Leila," the woman said. "And if there's something you need to know, I can get me hands on it."
"How would you know something?"
"That's what I do. I know pretty much everything there is to know about anything in this world." Leila pushed herself off the wall. "Follow me to my offices, and we can talk about what you need." She walked down the alley.
Sora was about to walk forward, but Donald grabbed his sleeve.
"Are you sure we should follow her?" he asked, before looking skeptically down where Leila had left.
Sora shrugged his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's okay. She just seems like a nice person who likes to help people."
"Yeah Donald, ya got to be a little less paranoid," Goofy added. "I mean, it's not like when she has us cornered, she gonna call out a gang of big tough thugs to mug us."
. . .
"Yeah, I bet you're right," Donald said.
Gordon
"Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle the situation?" Squall asked. Ever since the man had founded the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, people had looked towards him as the unofficial leader of this world. While he didn't know what he felt about that exactly, Squall followed the role accordingly.
Everyone who was a member of the RGRC was present. With the exception of the person who had been recently assigned Head of External Security, who was absent.
Squall commented he wasn't surprised, and not too worry about it.
"Just a reminder, but what's the situation again?" Yuffie asked.
Squall sighed. "Something has taken residence in Maleficent's castle, and we don't know what."
"And whatever the hell it is keeps summoning demons to the city," Cid H. said. "And we can't get too close to it without getting swarmed by more of them."
"Can we do anything about it?" Aerith asked.
Squall closed his eyes. "King Mickey has talked about sending people to aid us, aside from Donald and Goofy. He's also called in a favor from an associate he made while traveling the worlds."
000
Sora walked through one of the halls of the RGRC's base, looking for Squall to talk about the castle.
"I'm not sure," said a voice from around the corner.
"Well too bad!" This was Donald. "You have to man-up and take charge!"
"Donald's right," said Goofy."
"Donald? Goofy?" Sora asked, turning the corner.
The two turned around. "Sora?"
"Who's this?" Sora asked, looking to the young blonde man they appeared to be reprimanding.
Donald folded his arms. "This is Richard," he did not sound at all pleased.
"King Mickey met him on his journeys," Goofy followed. "He called in a favor and asked to help Radiant Garden with that spooky castle."
"Why would he ask him though?" Sora asked.
"Richard's the ruler of a world, that the King helped out once, and now he's helping us."
"But," Donald bitterly said. "He's backing out!" He pointed an accusing finger at the man, who flinched back.
"Backing out?" Sora asked.
"I am sorry," Richard said, lowering his head. "I can't help you at all. I am sorry, but I am nothing more then a coward."
"Well too bad!" Donald snapped. "We need help! And you said you'd help!"
Richard shook his head and took several steps back. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you in any way. I," he hesitated to say. "I can't do anything to help you." He spun around and began to walk down the hall. "If I am able to stand by people close to me, then I can't help anyone else."
He turned around a corner, and out of sight.
Donald fumed. "You little," he growled. He jumped into the air with an angry squawk and chased after the man.
"We better make sure Donald doesn't hurt him," Goofy said, before giving chase.
Sora stood there for several moments, giving thought to Richard's last words.
"You can't save anyone if you do nothing at all."
He than walked down the hall, following the three.
Josef
They walked over to the edge of the wall, and looked out to the horizon.
"What was that you think?" Sora asked, looking to the castle.
"I don't know," Goofy said. "But something's going on though."
"But what?" Donald said. "For the last few days the wind's been picking up around there!"
"And every time Leon sends someone to check, they just keep getting attacked by more of those monsters," Sora said. "If only we could find someway to get close to it without being spotted." Sora slumped where he stood and onto the railing.
"There may be a way." The three looked to their right to see a bald man with a green cape draped across his shoulders.
Why were there so many people sneaking up on them?
"You must be Sora, Donald and Goofy," he said, before turning to them. "Squall has mentioned you. My name is Joseph, and I am a volunteer who is assisting the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee."
"What did you mean there might be a way to get there?" Sora asked.
Joseph pointed out the castle. "I had lived in the Radiant Garden before it collapsed, and back then I was a mythril miner."
"You mined mythril?" Donald raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, there used to be large veins of it in the mountains, and many tunnels were created to extract it. One of those tunnels has two different entrances; one near the city's walls, and another near the castle." He folded his arms over his chest. "Hopefully, those dark armies will not have discovered it.
"In several day's time, I will lead a small expedition into these caves. If you speak with Squall, he may permit you to assist me." Joseph walked away.
"We should go with him!" Donald piped up.
"You just want the mythril, because it's worth a lot of money." Sora flatly said.
"Um," Donald tried to stall for something to say. He came up with an idea. "Okay, I do want the mythril! But only because it's a valuable alchemic tool!"
"We don't believe you," Goofy said.
Minwu
Sora coughed as he and Goofy, following Donald, entered the shop.
According to the duck, it was a magic shop
'But, why do you need to know how to pull a rabbit out of yer hat?' Goofy had asked.
'Not THAT kind of magic shop!' Donald reprimanded.
According to Donald, magic shops sold a variety of different books, scrolls and tomes that held all sorts of different magic spells.
Currently, the wizard was looking for a spell called 'Meteor'. Sora wasn't really too sure on how he felt about that, since there was a chance Donald would use it on one of his comrades should he enter one of his tantrums.
Sora poked at one of the dusty old books, wishing to leave this spooky old place. He kept getting the feeling that something would leap out of one of the books and-
"May I help you?"
Sora yelped, and spun around to face the demon from the book.
But it was only a white-dressed man.
"Are you okay?" the man asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Sora sighed. It was good to see this man wouldn't eat him.
"Are you interested in purchasing any spells?" the man said. "We have a large variety, ranging from elemental, non-elemental, White Magic, Black Magic, Blue-"
"No Blue Magic!"
The man raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he said slowly, wondering about the odd reaction.
"I'm not looking for any spells, I'm just here with a friend, who actually is looking for spells." Sora though. "Though, I hope he doesn't end up using it on us."
"Hopefully, your friend will not, that may not matter if he cannot use the spell he seeks."
"But he is a wizard," Sora said. "I'm sure he can use any kind of spell."
"While true," the man said. "I will not allow some of these spells to be sold to anyone unless they are the most powerful of mages." He looked to the back of the room. "Such spells can only be even looked upon by the likes of great sages like Merlin, Yen Sid, and Tellah. There are even spells back there that cannot be opened without a great cost."
"You run this store, right?" Sora and the man turned around to see Donald walk up to the latter.
"Yes, I am the proprietor of this establishment," the man answered.
"I'd like to but this!" He held up a book.
The man turned to Sora.
"That was one of the spells I was talking about."
"Of course it is."
Leon
There were screams as the soldiers ran through the city.
One of the demonic knights raised its sword, about to cut down a citizen.
Sora blocked the sword, appearing just in time. The citizen ran away. The Keyblader pushed the demon back, before slicing at it across the stomach.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, having defeated another one, but still far from done.
Out of nowhere, this army appeared and began to raze the city. He had separated from Donald and Goofy, so they could take help more people and cover more ground much quickly.
"You were able to handle that quickly."
Sora spun around just as a dark portal appeared from the ground. Out of this darkness, stepped out a man clad entirely in pitch-black armor. With the exception of the eye slit on the helmet, Sora could not see any bit of his body.
"Who are you?" Sora asked, gripping the Keyblade tightly.
"It doesn't matter who I am," the man said. Darkness spread in his hand and a wicked-looking sword appeared. "What matters is that we are both here." He assumed a battle stance.
Sora took a step back. "Do you have anything to do with these demons?"
"It's possible," the man said. Darkness thickened around him, and he began to attack.
000
Sora caught his breath as the Dark Knight stood strong after their fierce fight. Then, too his surprise, the man dismissed his sword.
"Huh?"
"I no longer need to be here," the man said. The portal appeared around him.
"Hey! Wait!" Sora ran after the man, but he had already vanished before he could get there, leaving him wondering as to who he was.
000
The portal vanished, leaving the Dark Knight in a kneeling position.
"So, how did it go?" The Knight raised his head to meet the gold-clad man sitting upon the throne.
"I was able to encounter him, sir," the knight said.
"And how did he perform?"
"He was able to defeat a number of soldiers, and was able withstand my own skills."
The man chuckled. "Is that so?" He waved his hand in the air, and a ornate circle appeared in the air.
It flickered for a moment, and the image of Sora appeared in it.
The man rested his chin on his hand. "It appears that I may be able to use this insect after all."
Firion, Maria and Guy
Sora groaned as he sat down on the bench that stood in the city square.
Shortly after he had defeated the Dark Knight, the rest of the demons were soon driven out from the city.
From what he heard from Squall, there was talk about invading the castle by week's end.
He was going to help defeat whatever was the threat.
"It's just like back home!"
Sora turned his head to the right to see three people walking down the street; a large man wearing an odd helmet, and an axe strapped to his belt, a purple-haired woman with a bow slung around her shoulder, and a young man with an odd headpiece and a red sword at his hip.
"But, how?" the woman asked sadly.
"Nothing, is safe?" the large man asked, somewhat slowly, as though he was thinking them out as he said them.
The young man then slammed his fist into the wall.
"Dammit!"
"Firion!" the large man said in surprise.
"It was the same back on our world," Firion said. "These things came and attacked and destroyed our home." This caught Sora's attention. "And now the same thing is happening here."
"Firion," the woman said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Please, don't worry."
"How can I not?"
"What about what was important to you? Are you going to give up on it?"
Firion was silent.
"Dream," the large man said.
Firion appeared to be deep in thought before giving a small smile. "That's right, Maria, Guy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flower.
A rose.
"You said that you wanted to fill the world with wild roses, correct?" Maria asked.
"Nice dream," Guy said.
Firion chuckled. "I want it too come true."
"So do we," Maria smiled.
"And in order to make that dream come true, I can't give up."
"We, don't give up," Guy said.
He stood up straight and turned back to his friends. "That's right. We won't."
Maria and Guy nodded to Firion and they continued on their way.
"Fill the world with flowers?" Sora asked. "Why does he want to plant flowers all over the world?"
"It's not literal." Sora looked to his other side to see Cloud walk up to him.
"It's not?"
"No," Cloud said. "I met Firion a while back, and he explained it to me. At first, I didn't understand it, but now I do."
"What's it mean?"
"He wants a world where people can live in peace and harmony. Aerith and Terra both have similar dreams as well."
"A dream?" Sora said, then looking to where Firion, Maria and Guy had left. "Yeah, that sounds like a nice one."
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Mrfipp