Chapter 9
Clarabelle Cow, the school nurse, had Xion sit on a bed in the nursery.
"My dear, the test came out negative. You are absolutely not pregnant." said Clarabelle with a reassuring smile.
Xion felt relieved and exhaled deeply. "However, in the future my dear, please wait until you are mature adult. You are still a little girl! At least to me." said Clarabelle like sweet auntie.
"I'm not a little girl. I'm a woman." said Xion.
"Not yet a woman, but not a girl either. This is a very dangerous time. If I were you, do not ever be alone with your boyfriend. Stay in a large group of people and get your mind off things." said Clarabelle.
Xion blushed and shook her head. "Ms. Clarabelle, this conversation is very triggering to me." she said.
"I understand. This is a topic that is very mature for… excuse me… a teenager." said Clarabelle.
As Xion was about to leave, Clarabelle stopped her. "Xion, wait just a moment. I have something to tell you. While doing the test, I found something else that we seriously need to discuss." said Clarabelle.
"What?" asked Xion.
"You need to sit down. This is very serious." said Clarabelle.
Xion did as she was told and Clarabelle spoke softly.
"I have found a black spot in your heart. Physically speaking. Your heart seemed to have had it for a while now." said Clarabelle.
"What does this mean?" asked Xion.
"I have seen this happen before on another girl. I don't remember her name. She was blonde and very pretty. I have forgotten her name, but she also had a black spot in her heart. What you have is very dangerous. If that black spot continues to grow, you may have intense health issues. I have tried to look for that blonde girl, but she has been gone for some time. I'm very worried for you. Which why you must come back here everyday. I need to look into this." said Clarabelle.
Xion felt her world crumble around her. "No." she said.
"You have to come back tomorrow. I'm worried for you." said Clarabelle.
"But if I get worse…" said Xion, feeling panic.
"Don't worry. That is why I will do my best to help find a cure for you! I have friends who work in hospitals. They will come and help you too." said Clarabelle with a smile.
…
Vanitas and Xion were alone together, in his room. He had a large bloody wound on his back.
"How did you get that?!" cried Xion.
"I got into a fight with somebody. It's not important. Xehanort gave me time to relax. It seemed that Sora did something to convince him to give us a few days off." said Vanitas.
"Was it Ventus?" asked Xion.
Vanitas turned to her and nodded.
"What was he doing here?" she asked.
"Apparently, he came to do things. He wanted to talk to Sora and Roxas. I didn't allow him to get anywhere near them." said Ventus.
"Do they know about this?" asked Xion.
"No. Sora and Roxas went out today. They texted me saying they were going out shopping. That's good." said Vanitas.
"Where is Ventus now?" asked Xion.
"He's somewhere in the school, hiding. I will find him and stop him." said Vanitas.
"I'll lock the door." said Xion.
"No need. Ven is so freaking soft. He would never attack people while they rest. He's very cowardly when it comes to hurting people. Although I must admit, slicing my back was a surprising move of him." said Vanitas.
Xion hugged him from behind. "Vanitas, please don't do these things. I have something to tell you. Something important." said Xion.
Vanitas turned to her and she briefly told him about her visit to the nurse.
"How long did she say you had that?" asked Vanitas.
"She said it's been there a while. But she's thinking she found it just in time." said Vanitas.
"Good. Let her help you and if she's getting nurses, let them help you too!" said Vanitas. He got up and put on a new black shirt.
"In the meantime, let's watch a movie or something. To get our mind off things." said he said.
Xion got up and began to cry. "I'm scared." she said.
Vanitas walked up to her and hugged her tightly. He then softly kissed her cheek. "Don't be. I'll be here for you." he whispered in her ear.
They kissed again and then, out of nowhere, almost on cue, the door opened.
Xehanort barged inside, with Braig next to him.
"You see! I told you he was here!" cried Braig, pointing his finger accusingly to Vanitas.
Xehanort then rudely pushed Xion away and pulled Vanitas's arm.
"Where is he?! Where is Ventus?! You saw him the other night!" said Xehanort.
"H-how did you know about that?!" cried Vanitas.
"I saw the fight! It was very short and very stupid to see you two fight with katanas and a kitchen knife." said Braig.
"You son of a -" Vanitas was saying.
"Enough of this! Vanitas, you should have come to tell me about it that same night! Worse, Ventus is roaming the school freely! You realize how massive Oblivion is! He could blend in with the other students easily, right under our noses! He's just as dangerous as Riku and Terra!" cried Xehanort.
"Not in front of Xion!" cried Vanitas.
"Please fool. I know you fill her in on everything!" Xehanort said. He then turned to Xion and pointed his finger at her face dramatically.
"You will keep quiet about this. We will be watching. If we find out you spill secrets about us, we will expel you and you will never be welcomed back to Oblivion!" cried Xehanort with his throaty and hacking voice.
"Xion, please leave." pleaded Vanitas.
Xion nodded and ran outside while Braig made cat calls. Vanitas angrily looked at Braig with murderous eyes.
Xehanort let him go and slapped his face.
"As punishment, you are back to work with me tomorrow. I tried to give you and your brothers the benefit of a doubt. Just so you know, I know there was NO dead relative." Xehanort said and he turned back.
He slammed the door, leaving Vanitas reeling with an intense rage. He grabbed a baseball bat and started to destroy everything in his room. He screamed curses and rants while he was destroying things. He ripped out his favorite band posters, he destroyed some of his anime memorabilia, everything!
Just then, the door opened and in came Xion. Vanitas calmed down and Xion hugged him tightly.
"I won't leave you like this. I wont." she said, crying. Vanitas began to cry too. They both started to cry and they both sat on the floor, still in each other's arms.
Xion then kissed Vanitas on the lips, calming him down.
…..
Sora, Roxas, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Kairi and even Rafiki arrived at their destination. They found themselves at Acme Acres.
"What school is this?" asked Roxas.
"Why don't you know? This is Acme Acres. The school of mischief and fun!" declared Rafiki excitedly.
"Acme Acres? Strange. I don't know anything about this place. And nothing here sounds familiar." said Sora. It was true. He didn't think the name was familiar at all.
Everyone entered the building and welcoming them as they walked in was the headmaster himself. He was a tall rabbit with a carrot in his hand, and he was wearing gloves. He too was not familiar to Sora. It seemed like they entered a completely different world. While Oblivion was a school fashioned like some sort of European castle, Acme Acres felt like entering an arcade with neon lights. At least to Sora.
"What's up docs? Welcome to Acme Acres! It's been so long, Mickey." said the headmaster.
"Everyone, this is my good pal, Bugs Bunny. He was a Janitor at Oblivion with me. Now, he's the headmaster of Acme Acres!" said Mickey.
"Oh stop, you're making me blush." said Bugs.
"How's Daffy and the others?" asked Goofy.
"They are good. I'll let them know you guys are here!" said Bugs excitedly.
"We are sorry to bother you in a time like this. But it seems that we are in need of a secret meeting place." said Mickey.
"I understand. Old man Xehanort is the definition of paranoia if ya ask me." said Bugs with a nod. He then led everyone to a big room.
"This used to be the bomb room. Please make yourselves at home everybody!" said Bugs. He then left the room and everyone sat in a circle.
"First off, thank you all so much for meeting here. Xehanort has no influence in this school and we are safe here to talk about what's been going on." said Mickey.
"I don't trust those Looney Tunes. They are violent, extreme and that Daffy is a no good jerk!" said Donald.
"Says the guy who used a rifle in one of Mickey's concerts." said Goofy, grinning.
"What?!" cried Sora.
"That was a long time ago!" cried Donald and he stared at Goofy angrily.
"Be that as it may, we've got a situation. Namine. She's still missing and we must find her. She's the key to solving this case." said Mickey.
"What are we looking for exactly?" asked Donald.
"We want to know why we are having these nightmares and why people we know appear! Plus, there's the familiarity of things and somehow, there's this feeling where we know one another well." said Riku.
"Namine once drew a lot of impressive drawings that felt so lifelike. And perhaps her missing has to do with Xehanort." said Kairi.
"You think the headmaster is involved?" asked Rafiki stroking his goatee.
"I'm starting to think so. He's got my brother, Vanitas, wrapped around his finger. And Vanitas is acting very strange as of late. I know that old man is involved, somehow." said Sora.
"I don't want to jump to conclusions." Goofy was starting to say. "But I think that book you found Sora, the one you told us about; I think it's in Xehanort's hands. It's obvious he doesn't want you to find out anything. And I think one of his men knocked you out that day." said Goofy.
"I'm starting to think so too." said Sora.
"Plus, there's the wayfinder I found." said Riku.
"The wayfinder. A symbol of hope." said Mickey.
"You know about it?" asked Kairi.
"I think it's time to tell you kids. Sora, Riku, Kairi, you guys have been kept in the dark for a reason. We are actually part of a resistance against Xehanort. We are called the Dream." said Mickey.
"The Dream?" asked Sora.
"We are an organization, working undercover to stop Xehanort. We know he's evil, and he's up to something very horrible." said Mickey.
"We've been spying on him for years now. Under his nose. Some agents are working as teachers. And there are a few students who are also agents." said Donald.
"There was only one member who was caught by Xehanort and his fate was unknown. His name was Terra." said Rafiki.
"Terra." said Sora. That name sounded like bells in his mind. Roxas, Kairi and Riku looked as if they heard the name too.
"Terra had a wayfinder and he shared it with his beloved. The wayfinder is a symbol of our dreams, our hopes, and our future." said Mickey.
"So what does Xehanort want?" asked Roxas.
"Xehanort wants to take over the world. And unfortunately, we have reasons to believe that he already has. The fact that our lives appear in your dreams, and that we are in different places say that somehow, Xehanort knows things." said Mickey.
"Then how many agents are in the school?! Xehanort is just one man! Why can't you all just team up and capture him and interrogate him?" asked Sora confused.
"Because he was a weapon that can destroy us all. A very dangerous weapon. If we make one wrong move on him, he'll unleash it to the world. We cannot have him hurt anybody!" said Mickey.
"When Terra was caught and his fate was unknown, his loved one was crying for a long time. We have blamed ourselves for that." said Goofy, taking off his hat.
"It's a terrible thing when someone's life is in your hands. We had to accept the fact that perhaps Xehanort killed him. As for that girl Namine, perhaps she knew too much and he got her too. We just need to accept the fact that she was caught." said Donald.
Sora then turned to Rafiki. "You knew all along didn't you? You knew we wouldn't find Namine. Then how come you told us about her?" asked Sora.
"I couldn't tell you anything about our order. Mickey is our leader. I needed to ask him permission. Leading you to Namine was the only way to get you to him." said Rafiki.
"Then, you knew I was coming to see you that day." said Sora to Mickey.
Mickey nodded and Donald quacked in surprise. "You knew this kid was coming?! Why didn't you just say so?!" cried Donald.
"Because I like games." said Mickey with a mischievous smile.
"You rotten mouse! You never change! You are a troublemaker!" accused Donald.
"Which is why we are best friends." said Bugs Bunny, who walked in.
"Bugs is also an agent. He works undercover in his school." said Mickey.
"Our school may be free, but it's only a matter of time before Xehanort's power reaches us. He will use whatever methods necessary to take our freedom down." said Bugs.
"So who are the agents?" asked Riku.
"We cannot tell you. You see, just as there are agents of good people protecting what is right, there are also agents undercover who work for Xehanort. And that includes the Overtakers, the evil cult ruled by Maleficent." said Rafiki.
"Some of the teachers who work in Oblivion also work for Xehanort. You cannot trust anybody. Plus, there are double agents. We need to be extra careful." said Donald.
"Yeah. The problem with Xehanort is that he uses his money to seduce people. We have lost a few agents because of that. Scrooge McDuck, Aladdin, and even Roger Rabbit." said Goofy sadly.
"No." said Sora sadly.
"Which is why what we are talking about in this room, must never go out! Sora, Kairi, Riku and Roxas, you four must keep this all within yourselves. But we will ask this of you. Find Namine. We know she's alive and well somewhere in Oblivion. Please find her and keep her safe. She's the key to saving everybody." said Mickey.
"We got a lot of work to do then." said Riku with a smile.
"To find Namine, we'll just have to look carefully. But how?" asked Kairi.
"I believe your nightmares might give you the answer." said Rafiki with a smile.
"Yes. In my dreams, there are people and objects that help good people. Belle had a small magic mirror, then there was a man named Bruno who saw the future, and there was the magic lamp where Mr. Genie came from. Perhaps one of these is at school." said Sora.
"That is a good start." said Roxas.
"We'll leave all this in your hands kids. But be careful. Don't tell anybody about this." said Mickey.
"And remember, we are silly janitors working at a school." winked Goofy, putting a finger on his lips.
Sora felt relieved after the meeting. It seemed he was not crazy after all. Something was happening at school. He never imagined that there were forces of evil and good fighting with each other in secret. And what's more, some of the people he knew were either good or bad and unfortunately, he didn't know who to trust. And that was when it hit him inside.
Some of his classmates that he respected could be bad too. Goofy mentioned Aladdin. He was a nice guy! A very humble and friendly person. Did he work for Xehanort? What about his other classmates and teachers such as Mr. Woody, Mr. Jiminy Cricket, Jim, James, Aladar, Simba, Todd and Copper? Were they agents?
Once again, Sora had more questions than answers. However this time, he was not alone. He had friends he knew he could talk to. Undercover of course. However, something was gnawing at him from inside. His brothers Vanitas and Ventus. Did they know about any of this? Were they involved? Was Ventus an agent of the Dream? Vanitas worked for Xehanort, but he probably didn't know about this secret war. But, did Xehanort know about this? Sora felt there was a lot more to this than just two forces fighting one another. He felt something was missing. Mickey and the others claimed Xehanort is hiding things. That much is true and that there are good people fighting a war for good.
However, it all seemed so unreal. And then there was the fact that his dreams suggested so many things about everyone's lives. If it's one thing Sora noticed in his nightmares is that tragedy had a play in everyone's lives. Death was everywhere. Many of them lost parents and loved ones due to some tragedy in one way or another.
Now, he met Bugs Bunny. Why wasn't he in any nightmare? Will he soon have some nightmares with him in it? And the so called Looney Tunes? Once again, Sora felt all alone. This was a completely new feeling. He found some answers, but they didn't exactly answer what he really wanted to know. But if finding this girl, Namine, answer things for him, then perhaps he'll understand so much.
As he walked out of the building with everyone else, they all agreed to go to the school at different times so they wouldn't cause suspicion. Sora left after everyone else went back to Oblivion. As he was about to leave, he noticed a familiar face playing with a ball next to a tree. It was the little mouse with the big blue hat!
"Hi there." said Sora.
The little mouse looked up at Sora and waved back with a huge smile. Sora smiled back. There was no way this little kid was an agent of either side.
"What's your name?" asked Sora.
"I'm Fievel! Fievel Mousechawits!" said the little mouse.
"Fievel. What a cute name." said Sora.
"What's your name?" asked Fievel.
"I'm Sora." he replied.