Hello everyone, Dream Guardian Watcher here and I am back for a brand new chapter. Sorry it took so long. I got busy with other stuff and trying to figure out how to start the story. But I decided to keep going with what I had. So now it is time for episode 2.
I want to thank AJWargo for helping write this reboot and being one of the people to help me get back into writing.
I also want to thank averyjett191, massone22, and rockstar 27 for adding this story to their favorites even with one chapter. It is good to know that someone is liking what I am writing.
Now with that done. On with the story.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT OCS.
Ajax, Sophia, and Woody fly through the portal stream, their destination: unknown. Soon enough they fell out the other side of the portal and landed on the floor. With a painful thud they check to see if anything was broken.
"Woody? You ok?" asked Ajax.
"Yeah. I'm good. You?" replied Woody.
"I'm ok. I landed on my bag," groaned Ajax as he got up. Sophia walking by him to make sure she was alright. Ajax dusted himself off and held the compass in one arm. Soon he looked around and saw they are in a library.
"Where are we?" asked Woody.
"I don't know. Looks like a library. Let's head out that door and look around," answered Ajax as he pointed to a door. Woody nods as they leave the library. Once out, they see that the building they landed in had long been abandoned given the amount of dust and covers that covered the furniture that was set to the sides of the room. The orange glow of sunset was the only light into the room.
"What sort of place is this?" asked Woody.
"An old mansion. Maybe. Hey, I think I see the front door. Let's go outside," said Ajax.
"Yeah. This place is dirty," said Woody as they went down the stairs and went outside.
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Once outside, they could see the exterior of an old mansion, six ruined pillars in a grassy entryway before the main gate. Outside the gate is an open grass area that leads into a forest. They look at the sky and see that it was during the twilight hours, nearing dusk.
"Boy. It sure is getting late, isn't it?" asked Woody.
"Looks like it. Let's find a place to eat and sleep before it gets too dark," said Ajax.
The start moving forward.
[A clock tower with two large bells and two small bells appears as the town surrounds it.]
[The area bathed in dusk twilight light as the name appears in starlight shine]
[Twilight Town]
As they leave the manor garden walls, Woody looks to the right and sees a carriage parked by the wall. It looked old and ravaged by many a storm and days of traveling but looked like an it could give a comforting place to sleep inside.
"A carriage?" wonders Woody.
"Why would anyone park a carriage here?" asked Ajax as Sophia sniffs one of the wheels.
"Beats me. Why not a car? Cars are faster," asked Woody.
"Maybe they can't afford a car?" replied Ajax.
"That's a good point," answered Woody.
The carriage doors soon open up and out comes a very morbidly obese man wearing a faded blue coat, a white shirt that was too small for him, a red skirt to cover all his legs but they could still see his bare feet. His rounded face had a pointed nose and grey hair on top his head. Several gold rings adorn the fingers on his hands. On the carriage doors are various meats, fish, cloves of garlic, tools, and books. Below the man's feet are three drawers that also served as footrests.
The man looks at Ajax and Woody as they are taken aback by him. "Good evening gentlemen," said the man in a jolly friendly voice.
"Who are you?" asked Woody.
"I am a humble merchant by trade. You may call me the Duke," answered the Duke with a chuckle.
"The Duke. That's an odd name," said Ajax.
"True. But I can say the same for you. What are your names?" asked the Duke.
"I'm Woody Woodpecker," answered Woody.
"I'm Ajax Nobody, and this is Sophia," answered Ajax with Sophia giving a happy bark.
"Ajax Nobody? Hmmm. A fine name for a hero in the making," said the Duke.
"Me? Oh. I-I'm no hero," said Ajax.
"Hmm. That remains to be seen. Still, I'll offer my services to the both of you. Weapons, ammunition, healing salves and potions—Anything you desire, I can provide," explained the Duke.
"That's generous of you," said Ajax.
"Provided you have the right amount of munny," said the Duke.
"Don't you mean money?" asked Woody.
"M-U-N-N-Y. The type of currency this world uses. Of course, I use any kind of currency. I provide a generous exchange rate between different money," explained the Duke.
"Is that right?" asked Ajax. Ajax reaches in his pocket and pulls $50 from his wallet. "What can we get for like $50?"
The Duke looks at the money and thinks. He looks around his carriage for anything. He then spots a wooden bamboo staff, about a foot taller than Ajax. "Ah. This will do. Have this, it will make for a great starting weapon," said the Duke.
"Why do I need a weapon?" asked Ajax.
"There are many dangers out there, and you may never know what you'll need to defend yourself with," answered the Duke.
"Fair point," replied Ajax as he takes the staff. He notices two small holes in the middle of the staff that are connected by a small metal line. "What are these holes for?"
"I'll tell you about that later," answered The Duke as he notices Ajax's pepper spray. "I see you carry around pepper spray. A wise decision. You never know when to drive someone off. If you want, I can stock my wares with pepper spray in case you need more," offered the Duke.
"That would be great yeah," said Ajax.
"Wonderful. Now then, you have some more money to spend. What else would you like?" asked the Duke.
"Ummm. Let me think," answered Ajax as he looks in his backpack. The Duke observes him and looks at Ajax's backpack. It was tattered and riddled with small holes, it looked like it had seen better days. "Oh no. I left my camping gear back home. You wouldn't have a spare tent, sleeping bag, and blanket for sale, would you?"
"I do but you don't have enough to purchase those items," answered the Duke. The two let out a sigh hearing this. "But I do have something of value to offer." The Duke brings out two backpacks. "You can buy these new backpacks."
"Sweet!" said Woody.
"Why would I need a new backpack?" asked Ajax.
"Yours looks old and doesn't look like it will last long. The pack I am offering is much stronger and holds much more. The second pack is for your friend," said the Duke.
"Nice," said Woody.
Ajax looks at his backpack and his hands tightened around the straps. "I can't. It's special."
"Very well. Then how about this: your friend gets the new bag and I'll repair your old bag. I can work a little thread and needle and your bag will have less holes in it. What do you say?" asked the Duke.
"That would actually be nice. If it is ok, can I use the new bag to carry my stuff while you fix it?" asked Ajax.
"Of course," answered the Duke.
"Why do you want to keep that old backpack?" asked Woody.
"It's special," replied Ajax.
"Ok. Whatever floats your boat," said Woody as he gets the new backpack.
"Unfortunately gentlemen, this repair job may take some time. If you need something to pass the time, I do have a request for you," said the Duke.
"Oh yeah? What would that be tons of fun?" asked Woody.
"Head into town and get some ingredients. I'll teach you the power in cooking," answered the Duke.
"Cooking? I can do some cooking but nothing complex," said Ajax.
"Then we will make something simple. Just name what you want," said the Duke.
"I wouldn't mind some mac and cheese with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich," said Ajax.
"Then mac and cheese it is. Find noodles, cheese, milk, onions, dry bread, bacon and some scallions," said the Duke.
"Ok. Which was to town?" asked Ajax.
"Just go through the forest and go down the open doors. Follow the tunnel and you will be in town," said the Duke.
"Alright. Let's go," said Woody.
"Thank you for the help. We'll be back as soon as we can," said Ajax.
"Before you go, let me give you your change," said The Duke as he tosses Ajax a small gold coin. Ajax looks at it and sees one side has an owl symbol, the other side has a castle. "Apologies if it is not a coin you are familiar with, but it was the only thing I had to give. Consider it good luck."
"It's fine. I kind of like collecting coins," said Ajax as he puts it in his pocket. "I'll keep it safe." The Duke smiles at this. Ajax and Woody head towards the forest.
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They walk through the trees till they come to a wall with a set of doors that look like they lead to a cellar.
"You think this is what the Duke was talking about?" asked Ajax. Sophia is sniffing the door.
"I don't see any other doors. Let's go in," said Woody.
"Ok," said Ajax as they open the doors and see a tunnel. They enter and walk through it. Thankfully it didn't smell. They come out the other side and see a bustling marketplace with a small tram running up and down a track. It was very busy and full of people.
"Wow," said Ajax. Woody looked impressed. "Let's look for those ingredients."
"Yeah," said Woody.
They look around the square. The see a bistro but had to continue.
"Should we split up?" asked Ajax.
"Probably a good idea. We might cover more ground," said Woody.
"Yeah." Said Ajax as he walks into a someone. "Ooff!"
"Ow!" said the person.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" said Ajax as he takes sight of the person he bumped into. The person was a girl about Ajax's age, bright green eyes like his own green eye, brown hair that sticks out on the sides and two strands of hair falling from either side of her head, and long enough to drape over her shoulders. She wears a black tank top with red stitching, red plaid capri pants, red socks and black hems with red laces.
"It's ok. It was just an accident," said the girl as they lock eyes.
Ajax became nervous as most people comment on his eyes first time, they meet him.
"You ok?" asked the girl.
"Y-yeah. I-I'm fine. You?" stammered Ajax.
"Yeah. I'm fine. You new here? I haven't seen you around before," asked the girl.
"Y-yeah. We just came into town," answered Ajax.
"My name is Olette. What's yours?" asked Olette.
"M-my name is Nobody," answered Ajax and then mentally slapping himself.
"Nobody?" asked Olette.
"No, I mean, I'm Ajax Nobody," replied Ajax.
"Oh," said Olette.
"This is Sophia, my dog. And this is Woody Woodpecker," said Ajax as Woody came up.
"Nice to meet you," said Woody.
"Pleasure's all mine," said Olette.
"We are just passing through. Looking for s-stuff to make dinner," said Ajax.
"Oh. Well, how about I help you find what you need?" offered Olette.
"You don't mind?" asked Ajax.
"No. Follow me, I know a good store you can get some stuff," said Olette. The three follow the girl. Ajax smiles, thankful that she didn't comment on his eyes. Woody gets a mischievous grin seeing Ajax like this.
They soon show up at a store and inside it had a lot of food items. Ajax looks at the pricing and some of them were quite high to what he was used to. Milk had a price tag of 10 Munny.
"Why is milk 10 bucks?" asked Ajax.
"Huh? Oh, it is only 10 munny. It's not very much," said Olette.
"Munny? Oh right. I don't have any munny," said Ajax.
"Well let's earn you some then. The job board always has something to do and you can earn money quick," said Olette as she led them to a board with posters on it.
"Ok. How much do you think we should get?" asked Ajax.
"You only need to pay 100 munny for the food but more never hurts," said Olette.
"Alright. Let's earn some moolah," said Woody.
"Yeah. Oh. I almost forgot; you could find the ingredients around the place. Some herbs are in the forest," said Olette.
"Ok. We'll do the jobs and just buy the ingredients. Thanks, Olette," said Ajax.
"Not a problem. Oh, and if you want to join my friends and me for some ice cream, meet me at the clock tower. Just walk up the hill," said Olette as she pointed the way.
"Ok. We'll meet you there," said Ajax. Olette smiles and nods as she leaves.
Ajax has a faint blush on his face, a fact Woody could see. "Oh ho. Looks like someone's got a crush."
"I do not," shined Ajax.
"You do. Come on. Let's do the jobs and then we can see her again," teased Woody.
"R-Right," said Ajax as they looked at the board.
There were five jobs on the board: mail delivery, cargo climb, grandstander, poster duty, bumble buster, and junk sweep. They think hard about what to take.
"I'll take grandstander. I'll give them a good show," said Woody.
"Ok. I'll do the mail delivery," said Ajax.
"Ok. See you later," said Woody.
"Good luck," said Ajax.
They separate and do the jobs.
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Woody shows up in a spot in a street and starts bouncing a ball.
"Gather round people and watch as I attempt to break the Twilight Town record!" showboated Woody as people started to gather. Woody bounced the ball with his foot, his hands behind his back. Some of the kids were smiling. Woody kicks the ball into the air and then starts bouncing the ball on his beak. The crowd gasps at the trick. "Stay and relax, 'cause I am on a roll!" Woody continues bouncing the ball.
Meanwhile, Ajax is running around the place delivering letters and packages. Each letter he delivers gives him 50 munny so he had incentive to do a good job. Thankfully, the places he needed to deliver were places he had already been. Once he was done, he had earned 700 munny.
Woody had bounced the ball 150 times and gotten a good chunk of munny. "And now! The Finale!" Woody kicks the balls towards the wall and the ball bounces around like a pinball with Woody flying fast enough to keep the ball from hitting any surface before spiking the ball to the ground and lands on it.
"TA DA!" exclaimed Woody as the crowd cheered. "Thank you. Thank you. You have all been a great audience." Woody goes to the guy who posted the job.
"Good job. And now for your reward: 150 munny," said the man.
"Thanks. See ya." Said Woody as he goes to find Ajax.
Ajax is placing posters in the Tram Common Square. He places the last poster on the wall. "All done," said Ajax. Ajax goes to see the guy who gave him the job.
"Nice work. Here's your reward," said the man as he gave Ajax 350 munny.
"Thanks," said Ajax.
"Ajax! There you are. Any luck?" asked Woody.
"I got 1050 munny," said Ajax.
"I got 150 munny," said Woody.
"That's 1200 in total. We should have plenty for groceries," said Ajax.
"Then let's go get them. Then we can see your girlfriend," said Woody.
"She's not my girlfriend," said Ajax as he heads for the store.
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On the way, they run past a small figure with a homemade plane. Ajax looks and sees what looks like a penguin with a very large nose, a red bow tie, and pilot goggles. The penguin was trying to push the junk plane towards the hill.
"Oh. Hello there. Do you need some help?" asked Ajax.
"Huh? Oh hello. I would like some help," answered the penguin.
"Ok. Where are you going?" asked Ajax.
"To the train station at the clock tower. It's a very high place," said the penguin.
"Alright. Let's go," said Ajax as he starts pushing the plane. Woody joins in as all three push the plane. "By the way, name's Ajax Nobody. What's yours?"
"My name is Opus," answered the penguin now known as Opus.
"My name's Woody," said Woody.
"And this is Sophia," said Ajax as Sophia walked by them.
"Nice to meet you all. You new around here?" asked Opus.
"Yep," said Woody. "Just passing through."
"Neat," said Opus.
"This is a nice plane. Did you make it yourself?" asked Ajax.
"Well, it is more of a glider really. The propeller is just for show. I am going to use this to fly," answered Opus.
"To fly? That's cool," wondered Ajax.
"Now that I would love to see," said Woody.
"Great. Just help me get this up to the top of the hill," said Opus. Ajax and Woody nod as they continue pushing.
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They eventually make it to the top of the hill. They look up at the clock tower and see the bells adorning the tower. At the base, they see a group of glass doors. In front of the tower, there was a large courtyard that looked over most of the town. A wooden ramp with a slingshot was pointed towards the hillside where they came from.
"Thanks for helping me bring this up here. Could you help me get this into the slingshot?" asked Opus.
"Sure," answered Ajax as he placed the glider at a space to launch it.
Opus pulled a giant rubber band and set it behind the glider. "There we go. I think everything is ready. Let's see if I can use this to fly."
"Good luck!" said Woody.
Opus gets inside the glider and starts the engine. "Pull the lever at my signal," said Opus.
"Ok," yells Ajax.
"Now!" yells Opus. Ajax pulls the lever and the rubber pull launches the glider. "WWWWWWWHHHHHOOOAAAAAAA!" The glider is sent down and up the ramp, the glider is sent into the air and Opus glides around the area. "I'm FFFFLLLLLYYYYYYIIIINNNNGGGGG!"
"WAY TO GO OPUS!" yelled Woody. Ajax smiles.
Opus gives a thumbs up, but his engine started to sputter. "Oh no. Not again." The glider started to go out of control.
"Is that supposed to happen?" asked Ajax.
"I don't think so," said Woody.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Yelled Opus as he came towards them.
Ajax and Woody run away down the hill. The glider, unfortunately, hits them both as they roll down the hill. Ajax and Woody land on the glider and ride the out-of-control flying machine.
"Opus! Stop this thing!" yelled Woody.
"I'm trying to, but we lost the brakes!" yelled Opus.
"We need to slow this thing down," yelled Ajax.
"How?" asked Opus.
"First step is making it not go downhill. Less chance of it gaining speed. Find uphill so we can take the kinetic energy out of this glider," said Ajax.
"We are going down a hill already! How are we supposed to find a hill to go up?!" yelled Woody.
"The Tram Common. We go there and follow the tram tracks we can slow this thing down," said Opus.
"Sounds like a plan," said Ajax.
Opus drives the glider into Tram Common, scaring many people.
"Watch out! Hot stuff coming through!" yelled Woody.
"SORRY!" yelled Ajax.
The three ride around Tram Common avoiding anyone they could. Sophia runs after them. They look around for anything to slow them down. They zip past the Bistro and over the bridge, Opus made the glider do a hard left and they barely kept from tipping over.
They go around the tram track. Soon enough they are about to hit the tram. Opus dodges the tram only to go down a hill to enter another part of town.
They speed into a great big open area. On the other side, Olette was coming down some stairs.
"LOOK OUT!" yells Opus
Olette sees them and freezes.
"OLETTE! MOVE!" yelled Ajax.
They are about to hit, but just then… "STOPPAGA!" yells a voice and the glider stops right in its tracks, inches from Olette's face. Olette moves away from the glider. Ajax, Woody, and Opus get out of the glider and Ajax goes over to Olette. Ajax moves her out of the way.
"Are you ok?" asks Ajax.
"Y-Yeah," said Olette.
"I'm so sorry. We were just helping and then something went wrong and then we went riding around out of control. I'm sorry," said Ajax.
"It's ok. No one got hurt," said Olette. Ajax gives a weak smile.
Ajax looks at the glider in confusion as it was just floating there in midair. Nothing on it was moving. "What the hell?" Ajax looks closely at the glider. Suddenly it zooms out and crashes into the wall, scaring Ajax, causing him to fall to the ground.
"What stopped the glider?" asked Woody.
"I did that," said a voice. The guys look and see a young man with golden blonde windswept spiky hair, and bright blue eyes. He wears a black, high-collared jacket with a zipper with a strange symbol. Over this jacket, he wears another unzipped white jacket with black block designs and a grey hem on the end of each sleeve. The second jacket's collar is red and pleated and folded back. The young man wears two-colored pants; the legs of his pants were beige with several of what looked like buttons on the hem that appeared to attach the legs to the rest of the cloth, which were dark-colored. His shoes were colored in shades of gray and black and had red straps in place of laces. Finally, he wears a wristband with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern on his left wrist, as well as a plain black ring on his left index finger and a plain white ring on his left middle finger. "Is everyone ok?"
"Yeah. We're ok," answered Olette.
"What happened?" asked the boy.
"My glider went out of control. We tried to stop but we lost the brakes on the way down the hill," explained Opus.
"I see. Glad you weren't hurt," said the boy.
"Thanks for stopping the glider," said Woody.
"Anytime. Oh, the name's Roxas," said Roxas.
"I'm Woody Woodpecker. This is Opus, Sophia the dog, and Ajax Nobody," said Woody introducing everyone.
"Hello," said Ajax meekly.
"Nice to meet you all," said Roxas.
"How did you do…That?" asked Ajax.
"Do what?" asked Roxas.
"Make the glider stop in mid-air and then make it go again?" asked Ajax.
"Oh, I cast stoppaga on it," answered Roxas.
"Cast stoppawhata?" asked Ajax raising an eyebrow.
"Stoppaga. It's a magic spell," said Roxas.
"Uh huh. Say I don't believe you, which I want to say I don't but with everything that has happened today, I am having a hard time not believing in something. How do you do magic?" asked Ajax.
"With this," said Roxas as he summons what looks like a large key-like sword. Its shaft displays two hearts, the handle bears two angel wings. The key teeth are fashioned in the shape of the Kanji for light. On a chain at the bottom of the key is a star made of Thalassa shells. Ajax looks at it and feels a strong sense of déjà vu. "It's called a keyblade."
"A giant key? That's one of the silliest things I ever heard," said Woody.
"I've heard rumors of a rat being a world-class chef working at the bistro," said Opus.
"Give all that has happened to me today, I would believe that," said Ajax.
"Really? What has happened?" asked Roxas.
"I was on a camping trip, and I found this compass. Next thing I know I open a portal and I meet Woody. We find a rock and now we end up here," explained Ajax.
"A compass opening portals? That is a new one on me as well," said Roxas.
"Can we take a look at it?" asked Olette.
"Sure," answered Ajax as he shows them the compass. Roxas takes out a phone with a crown at the top and takes a picture of it. Ajax opens it and Roxas takes pictures of the inside.
"Ok. We'll look into it and see what comes up," says Roxas.
"Ok. How are you going to find us and tell us what you find?" asked Ajax.
"You don't have a phone I take it?" asked Olette.
"I have a phone but it's not a very good one. Just a cheap little thing. Plus if we are world hopping around not every world is going to have phone reception," said Ajax.
"That's a good point," said Roxas.
"Hey, why don't we give him a gummi phone?" asked Olette.
"That's a great idea," replied Roxas.
"A gummi phone?" Ajax raises an eyebrow at this statement.
"It's what my phone is. With this we can talk to each other from anywhere, even other worlds," explained Roxas.
"Wait a minute! You're telling me that you have a phone that lets you talk to people from across worlds? How does it do that? How good is the signal? Can it reach me in places that have no tech whatsoever? Does the signal travel via the stars? When I touch it does it feel like it is made of gummi candy? Or better yet… Does it taste like a gummy?" asked Ajax as he started asking questions a mile a minute.
"Slow down. I don't exactly know how it works. I'll have to ask the guys who made it more about it. But you can keep lots of information on it and take pictures," answered Roxas.
"Oh, so it is like a smartphone. I've seen people use it, can't be that hard to figure out," said Ajax.
"Ok. Then let's get you one. Can you wait till tomorrow for it?" asked Roxas.
"Sure. It is getting late anyway, and we need to finish our errand," said Ajax.
"What errand?"
"I was helping them to find groceries and to earn some munny," said Olette.
"Oh yeah. That's right. We managed to get 1200 munny from those jobs we did," said Ajax.
"That's wonderful. That should be plenty for the stuff you need," said Olette.
"What are you getting?" asked Roxas.
"Some ingredients to make some special mac and cheese for this guy The Duke," answered Ajax.
"The Duke? You mean the guy that lives by the old mansion?" asked Roxas.
"That's the one," said Ajax. "We have the needed munny so we need to get the stuff before it gets too late."
"Alright. Hey, tomorrow, why don't we all meet up and hang out? We could show you around Twilight Town," offered Roxas.
"You don't mind?" asked Ajax.
"Of course not. Meet us at our spot. Just go up that alleyway and find a small room behind a fence. Okay?" asked Olette. Ajax nods. "Ok. See ya."
"See ya tomorrow," said Roxas as he and Olette leave.
"S-s-see ya t-t-tomorrow," stammered Ajax as he watches Olette leave. Woody just laughs. "What's so funny?"
"You got a crush," teased Woody.
"I do not," said Ajax.
"If you say so," said Woody.
They go over and see Opus looking at the wrecked glider with sad eyes.
"Sorry about the glider," said Ajax.
"Don't worry about it. It at least worked for a little bit and I got to fly for a bit," said Opus.
"Hey, uh, if you aren't busy, would you like to join us for dinner?" asked Ajax.
"Sure. Since you guys helped me, we should celebrate. Let's go get those ingredients," said Opus. Ajax and Woody nod. The three start to leave the area when they heard a loud clang sound. They all look and see a round disc, black on one side and pink on the other. "Not again."
The look at Opus and he is missing his….
"What happened to your fanny?" exclaimed Woody.
"I tend to have parts fall off," said Opus as he takes the detached fanny and put it back on his body. "All fixed."
"Is that a regular thing?" asked Ajax.
"Yes," answered Opus.
"Oooookay," said Ajax. "Let's just move." Woody and Opus nod and they head forward.
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After spending 200 munny to get the ingredients, they head back to the forest and the old mansion. The Duke's carriage was still there with the Duke waiting.
"It is wonderful to see you once again. I trust you got the needed items," asked the Duke.
"Yep," said Ajax.
"We even got twice that so there is enough for everyone," said Woody.
"And I see you got a new friend. I am the Duke, provider of many items," introduced the Duke.
"My name is Opus," answered Opus.
"A pleasure to meet you. Now hand me the items and I will cook you a meal," requested the Duke. Ajax gives Duke the food. "Thank you! Now to cook." And as quick as a flash, the Duke began to make the dish, water was boiled to cook the noodles; onions and scallions copped; bacon sliced and placed in a pan to be cooked just right; the bread was crumbled into breadcrumbs. The dishes and food flew in a dance that the Duke controlled and in no time at all, the food was done. "All finished. Please enjoy."
Ajax, Woody, and Opus looked at the bowls in front of them. It was mac and cheese topped with bacon, scallions, and breadcrumbs. Ajax got out four peanut butter and peach jelly sandwiches for them to eat with it.
"Thank you," said Ajax.
"It was no trouble, my dear boy. Now eat up. Tell me what you think," said the Duke as he started to eat. The food tastes amazing after the long day they had. Their bodies relax as they eat. They get a warm feeling inside of them.
"So, you came from a different world too?" asked Opus.
"I found this compass and it opened a portal. I ended up in Woody's world and went ended up fighting Wally Walrus," explains Ajax.
"Then we found a rock and it helped us get here," said Woody.
"Huh. Much better than how I got here," said Opus.
"How did you get here?" asked Ajax.
"It was a normal day then, the sky got dark and these shadow monsters started attacking my home. Next thing I know I wake up here and I don't know what happened to my friends," explained Opus. "I couldn't find any of them here and there's no way out of town. So, I just found a box to sleep in so I can survive; then try to find my friends."
"That's horrible," said Ajax.
"Sounds like your world was attacked by the heartless. Though I thought they were defeated some time ago," said the Duke.
"What's a heartless?" asked Woody.
"A creature created from the darkness in one's heart. They travel the worlds searching for new hearts to make into heartless. Think magical zombies," explained the Duke.
"I see," said Woody.
"Do you think Opus's friends are on other worlds?" asked Ajax.
"Quite possibly but it is too early to say. However, it would be a good thing if you found them while on your journey," said The Duke.
"Yeah," said Ajax as he continues eating. "Say, Duke. Why do you keep on saying that we are going on a journey?"
"Call it intuition. From the sounds of it, you need to find those stones for the compass, and you need the compass to find your home. Simple logic."
"Y-Yeah."
"Oh come now. If you are clever enough, nothing is going to stop you."
Ajax nods in agreement.
Soon enough they were done with dinner. "Wonderful. I wouldn't mind having that again," said the Duke as he wipes his face clean with a napkin.
"Thanks for the food," said Ajax.
"Yeah. That was yummy," said Woody.
"I don't remember the last time I had a meal this good," said Opus.
They suddenly feel a surge of power within them.
"Whoa!" yipes Opus.
"That mac and cheese has some kick," said Woody.
"What was that?" asked Ajax.
"That would be your magical potential awakening within you. You are welcome," answered the Duke.
"What do you mean? I can't do magic," said Ajax.
"You couldn't before but now you can or at least learn magic," replied the Duke. "In addition to that, you can learn abilities."
"What do those do?" asked Woody.
"Depends on the ability. You may use simple special attacks or frighteningly powerful skills or just something that makes you better at fighting," explained the Duke.
"Ok. How do we know what abilities we have?" asked Ajax.
The Duke tosses the three metal bracelets with a small gemstone in the middle. "Put those on and then tap the gem," instructed the Duke.
They do so and out pops something akin to a status screen.
"Whoa!" said Ajax.
"Now with this, you can check out anything regarding your party's stats, equipment, abilities, items, and so on," instructed the Duke.
"Wow," said Ajax.
"Use it wisely. Also, use it to check on your materia."
"Materia?" Ajax raises an eyebrow at that word. Like he heard it before.
The Duke brings out several tennis-ball-sized orbs, in colors of green, red, yellow, blue, and purple. "Say hello to Materia. Magical orbs that unlock one's inner strength and magic."
"Cool," said Ajax looking at the orbs. He then catches a green one that the Duke had tossed him. It felt warm in his hands. "What's this?"
"That is a fire materia. The green ones give you new magic spells."
"You're telling me these orbs give us magic?"
"Alright. Now we're talking. How does it work?" chimed in Woody.
"Ajax, take your staff and put it near one of the holes you saw earlier," instructed Duke.
Ajax does so and it shrinks down to the size of a marble, fitting perfectly into the slot. "Whoa. Now what?"
"Just point your staff or hand at that dummy and shout 'fire' or whatever spell you have equipped."
"That's it?"
"Of course. It is as simple as that."
"There has to be more. You can't expect me to believe that I can just point a stick, say 'fire' and…" a fireball comes out of Ajax's staff and hits the dummy. Ajax, Woody, and Opus stand there with their eyes wide open in disbelief. "Did I just?"
"You shot a fireball," said Opus.
"You used magic," said Woody.
"I used magic. I used magic. I USED MAGIC!" Ajax starts laughing like he just got to use a new toy for the first time. "Fire!" Nothing happens. "Huh? I said Fire." Nothing happens. "Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. FIRE!" Ajax tries to make another fireball but as he does, his body feels like he's having a heart attack. He stops due to the pain. "Ok what is going on?"
"I should have mentioned that yes you can use magic, but you cannot abuse it. Your body has a limited amount of magic potential or MP. Use too much and you will not be using any spells or tricks. Try to force it out and you end up harming yourself instead," explains Duke.
"Ok so how do I get to do more magic? Can I do more than fire? Can I command the weather itself? CAN I MANIPULATE TIME AND SPACE?!"
"Settle down boy. Just let your body adapt to the magic first. The more your body gets used to having magic course through it, the more you can use. And if you keep in shape, you can use even more with little effort." Ajax pokes his slightly big belly upon hearing this. "Magic takes practice so learn how it works and use it when you absolutely need it. Over time the materia you use will become more powerful. Eventually, you will find new materia with different spells."
"Interesting," said Ajax looking at the green light in his staff.
"When do we get materia?" asked Woody.
"You will need an object you can put on your person. A place where the materia can flow into and do its work. Ajax has his staff, but you two, I will need to think on. I know there's items that can help with that lying all over the place so keep an eye out."
"Dang it." Woody hangs his head in disappointment.
Opus spots a slingshot that has a slot in it. It was a simple one that looked like it was made of metal. "Could I have that slingshot?"
"Certainly. I'll add it to the current item list. Oh, and while you three are out adventuring, may I ask you to look out for something?"
"Sure, what is it?" answered Ajax.
"There's a special kind on purple materia. They are called the Hero's Spirits. Inside they contain the spirits and powers of past heroes. They grant the user the powers and abilities of these past heroes. I have heard that there are 21 of them in total."
"And you want us to find them for you? Sounds reasonable," said Ajax.
"I would be happy to reward you for finding them and letting me study them. The materia has given me an excellent hobby to do since I came here and I like to see all they have to offer."
"Alright. We'll keep an eye out for them."
"Thank you. Now to the rest of our business. Take this book. It will help you learn about your bracelet and basic adventuring."
Ajax looks at the book entitled 'A basic guide to Adventuring.' "Ok. Thank you. Anything else?" asked Ajax.
"Yes. I suggest you try as many foods as you can. The more food you eat, the more bonuses you gain through your adventure. Eating new food can help increase your stamina and trust me when I say this, you will need that," answered Duke.
"Oh boy. An excuse to eat food is alright by me," said Woody as he licks his lips.
"I mended your backpack, Master Ajax. I must say that this old army pack is just what you need," said Duke.
"Thank you. It means a lot to me," said Ajax.
"Of course. By the way, I put a little bit of magic into the pack. Now you can carry as much stuff as you need without worrying about space," explains the Duke.
"Alright! Hammer Space Backpack!" exclaimed Woody.
"That is pretty sweet," said Ajax as he puts his stuff out of the new bag into the repaired backpack. "Hey, there's two sleeping bags, blankets and a tent set."
"Yes, I took the liberty of placing these items in your bag. One more thing, if you have food items, you can store them in the bag and they will stay fresh no matter how long they are in there," said Duke.
"How do they stay fresh?" asked Ajax.
"Magic," simply stated Duke.
"That is not much of an answer," said Ajax.
"True but the most wonderful things in life don't need to be explained. Where would the fun be in that?" asked Duke.
"But learning how things work is half the fun. Anyway, we'll just turn in for the night," said Ajax.
"Before you leave, you still need to pay for the items," said Duke.
"I thought you were giving them to us," said Ajax.
"Heaven's no. What gave you that impression?" said Duke.
"You sneaky blob! You trying to swindle us?" asked Woody.
"Not at all. All I am asking for is a meager 500 munny. I'll even throw in an extra sleeping bag and blanket for free," said Duke.
"That's not too bad," said Opus.
"Ok. Here you go," said Ajax as he pays the Duke.
"Thank you very much. I hope to see you again but for now, good night," said Duke.
Ajax, Woody, and Opus say their goodbyes as they enter the old mansion and find a room to sleep in.
Z-z-z-z-z-Z
They look through the mansion and from what rooms they could get in, there wasn't a single bedroom in the place.
"What kind of mansion doesn't have bedrooms? We looked through this place top to bottom and there is no bed anywhere," complained Woody.
They find a room with a large empty space. "Let's just get the sleeping bags and rest here for the night," said Ajax as he sets his backpack down. The others nod and get their sleeping bags as well. They unfurl the bags and lay on them.
Woody, Opus, and Sophia fall fast asleep, but Ajax is still up writing stuff in his journal. He was writing down the various questions he had so far.
Where is home? How many stones are there? What other materia are out there? How many worlds are out there? Why does the Keyblade feel so familiar? Have I seen it before?
Ajax looks at the questions and shakes it off before writing down some more notes and closing the book. He turns off the flashlight and lays down to sleep.
Z-z-z-z-z-Z
In the dead of night, in one of the alleyways of Twilight Town, a portal opens, and out come several robot-looking figures. Their bodies are a clean metal, with thick arms, and legs with metal balls for hands as chains dangle from their wrists. A small cylinder for the nose and jagged mouths. Their eyes glow red as they walk through town and stop at random places. They stand and wait.
Z-z-z-z-z-Z
Weapons:
Ajax Nobody: Wooden Staff ATK +4 MGC + 3
Woody: Woodpecker Beak ATK +1 MGC +0
From the Journal of Ajax Nobody:
Opus: A penguin with a heart as big as his nose. He dreams about flying in the air and finding his lost friends. For some reason, his fanny falls off at random times. He is joining us on our journey. First Appearance: Bloom County 1981
Olette: A resident of Twilight Town. I bumped into her, and she helped Woody and I find the stuff to make dinner with and help us get some money. She's a very nice tomboy and is smart. She's a member of the Twilight Gang. She didn't comment on my eyes first time she met me. Can't remember when that happened. First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts II 2006
Roxas: A resident of Twilight Town. He helped in stopping Opus's glider from crashing into Olette by using magic from something called a keyblade. He seems like an ok guy. He's a member of the Twilight Gang. First Appearance: Kingdom Hearts II 2006
The Duke: A very, very big merchant who lives inside a chart. A decent guy if not a little creepy. He provides us with various goods and services for the right price. He seems to know a lot more about the compass than he lets on. First Appearance: Resident Evil 8 2021
Mysteries
Where is home?
I need to figure out where my home of Wheelbarrow is. How am I going to find it?
How many stones are there?
We found one stone, but I don't know how many are left to find.
What other materia are out there?
Fire and the 21 hero spirits are some materia we know of. What else is out there.
How many worlds are out there?
I thought the universe was big before. But I didn't think I would be exploring it like this. I hope I don't have to see them all just to find home.
Why does the Keyblade feel so familiar? Have I seen it before?
For some reason, seeing Roxas's keyblade gives me the strangest sense of déjà vu. Have I seen it before. I don't think I have. A question for later.
Ajax Nobody LV 2
HP 46 MP 7 ATK 17 Magic 6 DEF 16 BP 2 Strength 21 Stamina 27 Magic Power 18 Vitality 23 Spirit 23 Magic Attack 30
Woody Woodpecker LV 2
HP 48 MP 7 ATK 16 Magic 4 DEF 19 BP 5 Strength 25 Stamina 30 Magic Power 14 Vitality 15 Spirit 20 Magic Attack 22
Opus LV 2
HP 44 MP 7 ATK 7 Magic 4 DEF 15 BP 5 Strength 12 Stamina 25 Magic Power 13 Vitality 11 Spirit 11 Magic Attack 19
I hope you all enjoyed that. I look forward to showing you what happens next and how our team grows. Until then, leave a review, favorite, and follow the story and I'll see you all soon. Bye!