Another day another chapter. Remember, Kingdom Hearts and Dissidia Final Fantasy were created by Squaresoft. Disney characters, locations, etc. are Walt Disney's creations.
The next three or four chapters will definitely involve a Final Fantasy World. Oh, and in case anyone hasn't played Final Fantasy IX, Garnet and Dagger are the same character.
Chapter XIII: Alexandria
Sora and his group went back to the bridge of their ship to speak with Cid and the rest. Tifa was glancing at the navigation screen before she turned to address them"How did it go?"
"Aside from dealing with voodoo magic, we found another shard. This mystery is kind of getting to me, but no sweat" replied Sora.
Xion thought for a moment before speaking"Hm, where do you think we should go next?"
Roxas studied the navigation screen"The map on this thing is going a bit haywire, but I think I sense another unknown world not too far from this one. Why not go there?"
"Can't hurt" chimed Tifa.
"If the radar really goes haywire, I'll have to turn us around" grunted Cid.
Sora shrugged"Let's just go check it out."
They flew the Ragnarok II away from Tiana's world until they came upon another greenish landscape with some mist surrounding the planet itself. Serenia frowned"What's with all the fog?"
"I don't know" muttered Roxas.
"A misty planet, hm. Zidane told me about this, once" mussed Tifa.
Serenia glanced at the world in wonder"It looks beautiful. I wonder what its like."
"We'll find out, shortly" replied Noel.
Sora addressed Cloud and Tifa"You want to come with us this time?"
"I suppose" shrugged the spikey-haired blond.
Tifa smiled"It would be nice to see Zidane and Queen Garnet, again."
Sora grinned"Okay, Serenia can come along as well. Tyler, will you be okay staying with Roxas this time?"
"I guess" said the blue-haired apprentice.
"We'll be back" smiled Serenia.
Sora went with his group to the teleporter. Serenia asked her father"Um, what is Queen Garnet like?"
"She's a good person, not to mention prettier than her mother from what I heard from Zidane. I'm pretty sure there's nothing to worry about in this world" grinned Sora.
"Blind optimism can be a problem" remarked Cloud.
"Good thing Kairi's not here to take it the wrong way" muttered Roxas.
Sora, Serenia, Cloud and Tifa teleported down from the gummi ship and landed a few feet away from a majestic castle town. Tifa glanced at the surrounding fields"It sure is pretty down here."
"you bet" grinned Serenia.
"Let's check out the town over there" suggested Sora.
The four entered the gates of the castle town, stopping at a stone statue near it's entrance. Serenia glanced in wonder at it"I wonder what this is a statue of. Radiant Garden dosen't have any of those."
"Every town is different, and I don't know what this statue is" responded Sora, heading towards the inner city. Serenia, Cloud and Tifa followed.
The main town was mostly linear as the group proceeded down the cobblestone streets. The group surveyed the area, which even featured a couple of side passageways.
"Hm, call it a hunch, but is this Zidane's homeworld?" piped the brunette Martial Artist.
"You think? Yeah, it's possible. I haven't explored this world before, though" shrugged Sora.
"Who's Zidane?" wondered Serenia.
Cloud responded, looking down at her"He's a Master Thief and a bit of a skirt chaser. Or at least that's what he was, according to Bartz. His wife is Queen Garnet Alexandros."
"Amazing" breathed Serenia.
The group entered the main square of Alexandria where Serenia saw a blond man in a vest, pants, gloves and a furry tail going into the nearest item shop. Tifa stopped"That's him, right?"
"Looks like it" replied Cloud.
Serenia walked to the item shop and entered. Cloud, Tifa and Sora followed. The blond was purchasing some potions and other supplies when he turned to see Sora and the others"Oh, hey. Long time no see."
"It's been a long time, Zidane" acknowledged Cloud.
"Heh, same to all of you. Tifa, you're still beautiful as always. I was just shopping for stuff for my family, Dagger and I married a few years ago" grinned the former thief.
"Don't let Garnet hear you say that. So what else is new?" inquired the Martial Artist.
Zidane smiled"Nothing much, everything's been nice and quiet these days, but I'm not too bummed out. Oh, and is this little girl your daughter, Sora?"
"Yeah, her name is Serenia. How did you know?" said Sora.
"Call it a hunch, Kairi is just as beautiful as always, isn't she?" grinned Zidane.
"Um, yeah, I do look a bit like my mom, but I have my dad's eyes. I've seen other worlds with my dad. He may be as great as he was back then, but my dad isn't exactly a spring chicken, but he and mom are still doing okay" flushed Serenia.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" sighed Sora.
"Ha, ha, just kidding" smiled Serenia.
Zidane proceeded to leave the shop"Well, I gotta get going. I got a date with Dagger, so I can't be late or she'll get so mad. You guys want to come to the castle to visit?"
"Sure" said the young teen.
"We'll take you up on your offer" responded Sora.
Zidane grinned"Okay, let's go."
The group followed Zidane to the gate, north of town. Upon reaching a lake, Serenia addressed the blond thief"Where does the queen live?"
"Across the moat is Alexandria Castle. There is a boat ahead" replied Zidane, leading them.
The boat was medium-sized, the ferryman running it greeted Zidane"Are you returning to the castle? Oh, and who's with you, sire?"
"I don't really care to be addressed by my title. These are my companions" replied the former thief, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, okay" shrugged the man, ferrying them to the other side of the moat.
Serenia addressed Zidane"Are you a king? It's just that, the ferryman called you sire."
The tailed blond shook his head"Not exactly, more like Prince Consort. Sure, 'king' came with the package when I married Dagger, but I like to be seen as who I am. Titles are meaningless in my book, just call me Zidane. I'd prefer it if you didn't call me 'mister', either. I'm not really that old."
"True, formalities aren't always necessary" frowned Serenia.
As the boat arrived and the group disembarked, Serenia and Tifa glanced in wonder at the castle grounds. Cloud shrugged"Somehow I am not surprised."
"Yeah" whispered Serenia, glancing at the castle for a bit longer.
"The foyer is ahead" explained Zidane, heading to the castle entrance.
"Hey!" a voice called as a young thorteem year-old with dark brown hair came into view, he had blue eyes and wore a tunic with pants and a cape.
"Lance, how are you?" greeted Zidane.
Lance smiled"Never better, dad. Studies are kinda boring at times, though."
Zidane shrugged"Well, you gotta tough it out if you want to be like your mom, right?"
"You're right, it's just that Mia isn't making it any better for me" shrugged the younger man.
Serenia stepped forward"Um, hi, I'm Serenia."
Lance glanced at her"Hm? Oh, hey, I'm Lance. I'm the Crown Prince of Alexandria."
"Who's Mia?" asked Tifa.
"She's Rusty and Beatrix's daughter, she and Lance kind of have a friendly rivalry going on" smiled Zidane.
Lance flushed"Uh, anyway, you guys want to see my mom?"
"Of course" nodded Tifa before anyone else can say anything.
Zidane grinned"Well, right this way" and led them to the throne room. Serenia could not help but admire the interior of the castle.
Lance noticed and address the female teen"Enjoying the sights?"
Serenia flushed"Yeah, it reminds me of home in Radiant Garden's castle."
"Radiant Garden... Where's that?" wondered Lance.
"It's pretty far away from here" shrugged Serenia.
The group went up the stairs and towards the throne room. Standing outside the door was an armored man and a white-clad woman, Zidane addressed them"Yo Rusty."
"What is it? And who are these people?" grunted the man.
The brunette keyblade master responded"I'm Sora."
"I'm Serenia, sir" piped the girl.
Zidane interjected"They are here to see Dagger."
"Her majesty is very busy" said the man, curtly.
"That's enough, Adelbert. Go ahead, everyone" said the woman.
"Very well" said the man.
Zidane led the group inside the throne room, a woman with black hair and a greenish dress sat on her throne inside the throne room. The blond Genome addressed her"Yo, Dagger."
"Zidane, how are things in the city?" inquired the brunette queen.
"Everything is just dandy. Sora, Cloud, Tifa and Serenia here are visiting" smiled the blond.
The queen stood up"I see, well it's nice to see you all. Which one of you is Serenia?"
"I am, ma'am" replied the teenage red-head.
The queen smiled"Is this your first time in Alexandria, everyone? To those of you who are unaware of who I am, my name is Garnet Til Alexandros, Queen of Alexandria. Dagger is my civilian name."
"You mean like an alias? Cool" smiled Serenia.
Sora approached the queen"I think we met for a short time during the war with Chaos's goons. But there is a different threat out there that I am trying to deal with outside your world."
"What is it?" frowned Dagger, concerned.
"Have you heard of a man called Yoran Sanhille? We believe he is behind a powerful spell called the Twilight Eclipse, sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?"
"It does sound hard to believe, but stranger things have happened before. I've never heard of Yoran, though" said Dagger.
"My father's and my conclusion is that he might be a lingering will. What's more, Chaos's warriors are active again" explained Serenia.
"My father told me about the friends he had made during the War of the Gods, he's been involved in the twelfth and thirteenth cycles" frowned Lance.
Zidane was uncharacteristically quiet at the mention of Chaos' warriors. Dagger took notice of it"Is something wrong?"
"It just sounds absurd, but can't be impossible, either. Sora, you're looking for this 'Yoran' guy, right? I think I might want in on the action" grinned Zidane.
"Do you know what you're saying? Aren't you a king, now?" gasped Tifa.
The Genome shrugged"Well, it's better than doing nothing about it. If Chaos's warriors are active again, I am going with you to help kick some butt."
"We're also after Twilight Shards, which are supposedly fragments of the Twilight Crystal" elaborated Tifa.
"Can't help you there, but you and the rest of Cosmos's warriors might need me anyway. I can't just abandon my friends, no matter what" said the Genome.
Sora smiled"We'd be happy to have your help, Zidane. Oh, and have you seen Lightning? She said she'd help alert the rest of Cosmos's warriors."
"Light? Can't say I've seen her since the fourteenth war with Chaos. But let's not get too bummed out about all this" grinned Zidane.
Dagger stepped closer"I should like to help, too. If Alexandria is in danger, I cannot stand by."
"I would go along as well" piped Lance.
"Absolutely not, it would be far too dangerous" sighed Garnet.
"Your mom's right, Lance. Besides, who would protect Mia and everyone else?" piped the Genome.
Lance sighed"I know, I just can't stand by and let both my parents risk everything while I stay behind."
Garnet smiled"It will be okay. I just don't think I can take it if the worlds are in trouble and Zidane is fighting without me. But anyway, would you like to stay for dinner?"
"Not interested" muttered Cloud.
"Oh, come on, Cloud" chimed Tifa.
"Serenia and I will take you up on your offer if she's okay with it" said Sora.
"I'd love to" piped Serenia.
Outside Alexandria, Kuja smirked as he had spied on Sora's group entering the castle town. Kefka and the Cloud of Darkness lurked near him. The white-haired Genome smirked"All is according to plan?"
"We should crush them, now. We KNOW they have some of the Twilight Shards" cackled Kefka.
"Something more preliminary, I already made arrangements with Lumaria and Arlene to strike at the kingdom. Another shard might just be hidden, and we have a window of opportunity to snatch it from Sora's nose" grimaced Kuja.
"When shall we commence on this plan?" prompted the Cloud of Darkness.
Kuja smirked evily"Nightfall should do, my brother won't know what hit him or his friends and family. The curtain draws to this prelude to eternal twilight."
"Perfect, we will engulf everything in our shadow" sneered the entity in her usual third-person dialect.
The evening proved pleasant enough for Sora and his group as they enjoyed dinnertime with their allies. They had roasted chicken with some salad on the side. Sora addressed Zidane"How's Bartz doing?"
"He's doin' dandy, we still treasure hunt sometimes" replied the Genome with a smile.
Just as the group finished their dinner and were making small talk, one of the Knights of Pluto ran into the dining room"Your majesty!"
"What is it, Blutzen?" demanded the Knight Captain.
The knight's face was ghostly white as he reported"Someone has just unleashed strange humanoid creatures into the city. I got away from one, but not before overhearing a strange voice."
"Strange humanoids... Manikins again!? I'll take care of 'em" said Zidane, standing.
"You know what they are?" asked the knight captain.
The blond gemone nodded"Yeah, Manikins were among the vanguard of Chaos's forces. If they're here, then the warriors of Chaos have definitely returned. But how?"
"My, my, how fitting it is to see you in such panic" said a voice as a white-haired man appeared.
Sora summoned his keyblade and stood, turning to face the man"We don't have time for your games, Kuja."
"Oh, I'm wounded. This night has just begun" grinned Kuja.
Garnet stood up and ran to stand by Zidane's side. The knight captain and general stood with them and Sora's group. Lance and Mia stood back, afraid of what was going to happen.
Kuja sneered at the gathering"Now, now, no need to be so hasty. The Cloud of Darkness and Kefka are here as well, and I'd like to see how well you'd contend against seventy Manikins. They have already invaded."
"Enough!" Zidane charged at his nemesis"Grand Lethal!"
The white-haired Genome teleported out of range from his brother's attack and countered with Flare Star. Dagger hung back, afraid to summon her Eidolons in a cramped space.
"Fira! Thundara!" Sora and Serenia's spells struck Kuja head on, but the villain survived and vanished with a sinister laugh. At that moment, several dark balls appeared before Sora.
"Captain Steiner, General Beatrix, go help Sora fight the monsters. I'll stay right here with Zidane" instructed the brunette queen.
Steiner opened his mouth to protest, only to be met with a glare from his wife, Beatrix. Tifa and Cloud rushed into the action, hacking and bashing down the Dark Ball Heartless.
"Rusty, your knights should stay out of it. Chaos's Manikins can assume the shape of any of us" gasped Zidane. Sora cast a cure spell on the Genome before going off to find the Manikins.
"Dad, wait for me!" called Serenia, running after. Tifa and Cloud followed her to ensure the red-head teen's safety.
Zidane stood up"Kuja's up to something nasty, that's for sure."
Garnet stood at her husband's side"Let's go, our people may be in trouble. Lance, Mia, stay close to us."
Mia drew a short sword"Ready when you are."
Lance nodded"Okay. I might not be very good at using close-range weapons, but I know a few spells that Master Vivi taught me."
"I'm glad to hear that, but you'd better stay close" instructed Dagger.
At that point, a manikin of Zidane appeared alongside a group of Manikins resembling some of Alexandria's soldiers. Zidane got into his battle stance"These imposters have nothing on me."
"Some cannot wait to die, Climhazzard!" Beatrix had unleashed a shockwave from her sword, damaging several Manikins. Steiner and Blutzen rushed forward to cut two enemies down.
A Beatrix Manikin took the place of the ones they just killed, however. Zidane and Beatrix engaged their Manikin counterparts while the others fought against the attacking Manikins in the room.
Sora, Serenia, Cloud and Tifa rushed out into the hallways and down the grand stairs. Sora looked around"Where could those Manikins be?"
"Looking for something?" jeered Kuja's voice as three Cloud Manikins and two Tifa Manikins appeared. Tifa darted to one and beat it down while Cloud engaged two in a swordfight. Serenia rushed to help Cloud using a Fira spell.
Sora and Tifa teamed up against a Tifa Manikin. The monster weaved around the two as they attempted to land a blow. Stepping back, Sora shot a Blizzard spell on the Manikin, slowing it down enough for Tifa to smash it.
Cloud parried his doppelganger's blows before gaining the upper hand with an upward thrust and a cross-slash. Serenia dueled the other Cloud Manikin with her keyblade and was barely holding her own against it's attacks. Cloud quickly dispatched the Manikin with a Bladebeam. Tifa made short work of the third Cloud Manikin.
"Thanks" gasped Serenia.
"There are still more Manikins, let's go" said Sora, rushing ahead.
"Serenia, you should stay close" instructed Cloud.
The teen nodded and then followed.
Zidane and Beatrix struggled against the Manikins that took their shape, while Dagger, Steiner and Blutzen fought off the otherrs. Zidane jumped back to avoid a blow from the Thief Manikin and finished it off with Grand Lethal.
Beatrix scowled as she was forced to dodge a fatel blow from the Beatrix Manikin. Dagger immediately summoned Lleviathan to throw the Manikin back, stunning it enough for Zidane to finish it off.
"We should get Lance and Mia to safety" grumbled Steiner.
"Forget about it, there's more incoming" warned Beatrix as five more Manikins attacked. Zidane took three down with a quick Meteo Twist, only for the other two Manikins to rush him.
Steiner and Beatrix intercepted the Manikins. Zidane addressed Garnet"We should get going, Steiner and Beatrix can handle those two Manikins."
"Okay" said Dagger, reluctantly.
Sora and his group rushed outside the castle to find more Manikins advancing towards their position. Cloud took point with his buster blade"Only Chaos' warriors can control these mindless puppets. We may have to hurry."
"I agree, let's go" piped the Martial Artist, rushing forward to knock a couple Manikins back before backflipping out of the way of a Cloud Manikin as it stabbed at her. Cloud rushed at the Manikin and cut it down with Braver.
Sora dove at the group of Manikins with a Rising Sun technique. Upon landing, a Manikin slashed at Sora's shoulder. Staggered, Sora countered with Thunder to stun the Manikin long enough to finish it.
Two more Manikins charged at Serenia, who shot one with fire before being attacked by the other. Sora rushed towards the offending Manikin and stabbed it, Serenia gripped her shoulder as she watched"Thanks, that was too close."
"Here" Tifa handed a potion to Serenia who made a face, but drank it anyway.
Cloud hacked down two more Manikins before being stabbed in the shoulder. Sora healed him and attacked the Manikins with Strike Raid.
Zidane, Dagger, Mia and Lance ran out of the dining hall, only to be accosted by ten more Manikins. Zidane charged forward and initiated the fight with Meteo Twist before barely dodging Grand Lethal from a Capricious Thief Manikin.
Dagger focused her energy into summoning Shiva, the Ice-Elemental Eidolon blasted the Manikins back with Diamond Dust. Zidane finished the Manikins with another Meteo Twist.
"That was amazing" breathed Lance.
"Heh, no problem, it was easy-peasy. Let's head onward" grinned the Genome.
Mia and Lance followed the blond with Dagger bringing up the rear.
Sora, Cloud, Tifa and Serenia held their own against the Manikins until they were ambushed by a Wall Partical Beam. The blast demolished the rest of the Manikins, leaving Sora's group standing.
"That blast, it's the Cloud of Darkness" said Cloud.
"Precisely" said the voice as the scantly-clad wraith appeared.
Sora cast cure on his allies before turning his attention to the Chaos Warrior"What are you doing here?"
"We have no need to answer mortals like you" said the Cloud of Darkness in her usual third-person dialect.
Sora readied himself"What do you mean?"
"I can answer that" sneered Kuja as he appeared beside the female Chaos Warrior.
"What do you mean?" gasped Serenia.
Kuja smirked and gestured towards two black-clad figures showing up from the shadosw. Serenia gaped"Don't Nobodies lose their powers when they become their original selves?"
"The power of Darkness cannot be so easily contained. They have picked up a little trick from Yoran to allow themselves to ensnare the Twilight Shard hidden in this world" sneered the white-haired Genome.
Serenia paled"I guess we need reinforcements."
"Why bother? The Cloud of Darkness froze your Gummi Ship in time, its crewmembers will be no more than stone statues long enough for the Twilight Crystal to fall into my grasp" snarled Kuja.
Before them, the sky became a bright orange as a familiar keyhole emerged. Sora's allies looked up to see Arlene and Lumaria floating on a dark gummi ship, Kuja cackled"My, how easy that was."
The Cloud of Darkness smirked"Everything is proceeding as we planned."
"Indeed, two more shards remain if Yoran's hunch is correct. Now, hand over yours and your life will be spared" sneered Kuja.
"Give it up, Kuja!" cried Zidane as he ran into the fray. Garnet, Steiner, Beatrix, Mia and Lance were not far behind their ally.
Kuja coolly snapped his fingers, signaling the remaining Manikins to attack. Beatrix and Steiner immediately occupied themselves with fighting the monsters off, Mia and Lance joined the fight alongside the two knights.
"Will Lance and Mia be okay?" said Serenia, worriedly.
"They'll be fine, let's just wrap these two Chaos jokers up, as much as I hate fighting a lady" said Zidane.
Lumaria coolly teleported town"Oh? And can you take back the shard before Arlene gets away? We have already stolen it, soon this world shall be engulfed by Eternal Twilight. We have not forgotten how to travel through dark corridors."
"Light, darkness and nothingness may be eternal, but that doesn't mean you are!" quipped Sora.
The Cloud of Darkness hissed and threw a Partical Wall spell at the group. Sora and Zidane jumped over and slammed their blades into the Cloud of Darkness. The entity staggered and threw Partical Beam at them.
Kuja cast Ultima on Garnet, who barely managed to summon Carbuncle to absorb some of the spell's effects. Steiner charged at the White-Haired Genome, only to be intercepted by a Flare Star spell.
Sora cast heal on himself and Zidane before blasting Kuja with Fira. Zidane followed it up with Energy Blast, only to be blasted back by Flare. Sora charged right at Kuja with a Ragnarok combo.
Garnet summoned Bahamut to blast the Cloud of Darkness, who teleported out of the way and attempted a Particle Beam, only to be intercepted by Serenia's Blizzara spell. Lance and Mia got on either side of Garnet to back her up while Beatrix made short work of the Manikins. Garnet took a moment to cast Cure on Steiner.
Lumaria smirked as he watched the fight before him"As entertaining as this is, I'll fly the coop. We will meet again, Sora, for the last time."
"Going somewhere?" Zidane rushed at Lumaria, who swung his scythe fiercely. Zidane jumped out of the way and countered with Meteo Twist. Lumaria was thrown back.
Kuja was blasted by a Blade Beam from Cloud, the white-haired Genome snarled"This is not over, yet!"
Tifa lunged at the Cloud of Darkness with Beat Rush and Dolphin Kick. Flattened for a moment, the annoyed entity vanished, Kuja vanished shortly"Bah, you Cosmos Warriors are as formidable as always."
Cloud and Tifa rounded on Lumaria, who got up and conjured a petal storm at the group. Sora and the others covered their eyes as the Graceful Assassin made his escape.
"What's going to happen?" wondered Garnet.
"We'll discuss this in the morning, Yoran's forces won this round" sighed Cloud.
"Don't say that, we could still get that shard back and stop the Twilight Eclipse, right?" piped Serenia.
Sora nodded"You're right, but we don't know where Yoran's headquarters is located. All we can do is find more clues and hopefully get the remaining Twilight Shards before he does. Only thing is, I'm not sure this is a good idea."
"Hey, no need to get all bent out of shape" grinned Zidane.
"He's right, Cosmos's forces have lost a bunch of times before we managed to defeat Chaos for the first time in the thirteenth cycle" murmured Cloud.
Sora shrugged"Guess we'll have to be even quicker. Let's get some rest, tonight."
Lance addressed Zidane"Father, are you mad? I mean, Mia and I helped you, anyway."
"Nah, you two didn't exactly have a choice back there. The real enemies are this 'Yoran' dude and his cronies" grinned the blond Genome.
Garnet smiled"Well, like Sora said, we'll get some rest."
The group returned to the castle. Mia addressed Steiner and Beatrix"What about me?"
"You're lucky you aren't dead. I'll just let this one slide" replied the Alexandrian general.
"Really?" asked Mia.
"absolutely" replied Beatrix, silently daring Steiner to say something.
The group returned to the castle for the night.
Okay, this chapter is finally ready. I hope you don't mind another cliffhanger. Hm, this fic is sort of turning out a bit darker than the other stories on my profile. Speaking of which, does anyone else think Dirge of Cerberus and Final Fantasy XIII-2 were darker than the main Final Fantasy games? Maybe Final Fantasy VI was, too, but it was still a good game.
Please feel free to review.