Chapter 39: life is a highway
I do not own kingdom hearts or the properties shown in this fanfic. They belong to the respective owners and the original story is based on the works of Darius Almighty. Kingdom hearts and trials of the keyblade is owned by square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura. Please support the official release.
Right. Now heading to route 66 with cars! As a person who enjoys the franchise (except cars 2. Please don't ask why. Everybody absolutely hated it)
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
When Sora touched down into the next dimension through the traveling light of his Chronosphere, the first thing he realized was that he felt a lot different here than he had in the other dimensions. It was almost like he was in some kind of shell. And why did he taste oil on his tongue? His vision was kind of blurred, so he raised his arms to rub his eyes...but that was impossible, since he didn't have arms.
Because he was a..a...
"A car!?" Sora exclaimed in complete surprise. He had become a black sports car, complete with wheels, side mirrors, headlights, everything a car would have except he was the car! His blue eyes had become part of the windshield, making them wide and white. His mouth was the grille of the car, just beneath his headlights, frozen in shock. Lined in yellow and red racing stripes, with his patch of spiky hair on his roof, Sora made for a pretty cool car.
"Whoa!" Kairi's form had once again changed like his, transformed into a sleek pink Porsche, her shiny coat reflecting the bright daylight. Red paint was on her roof to represent her hair. "A Porsche? I'm not that shallow, am I? I mean lots of girls like Porsches! Does that mean I do?"
"You're thinking too much." Jack Sparrow was now a brown, black striped Camaro, sporting pirate hat and beard, still looking as tipsy as ever. "You should take a page from my book, keep the thinking to a minimum. Now where's me rum? Ah, there it is!" It lay not far from him in the form of a gas tank; he sipped from the yellow nozzle.
"Unbelievable," Mulan gasped, now a stylish orange Cadillac with black roof. "How is this possible? We're...machines!"
"Sexy machines!" Jack slurred, unintentionally revving the motor under his hood. "Oh, I like that!" He revved again. "Blow me down, that's cool!" Laughing, he revved over and over again.
"I don't even have my licence yet," Kairi muttered checking her wheels, then turning her windshield eyes to the landscape. They were on a long stretch of road in the middle of a desert with some intricate rock formations in the distance. But, it was what was missing that alarmed her. "Has anyone seen po and Beast?" There were four Keybladers present, originally six, but now two more were gone.
"What? They're gone?" Sora gasped, eyes shifting around.
"Oh, bugger, is Beasty not here?" Jack sighed sarcastically. "Cause I rather miss his sharp claws, pointy teeth, and regular death threats. It's become like a daily routine of harassment now."
"Guys!" Sora called. Where was everyone going? First sonic, now Beast and po. They had to get to the bottom of this. It was time to learn this body and fast. Sora attempted to get his wheels to start moving, with little result. Then his rear wheels suddenly spun their fastest and he shot off down the road at full speed, screaming in alarm. "Help! I don't know how to stop!" He flew off, disappearing over a hill, his screams still echoing back at them.
"I guess he doesn't have his licence either," Mulan sighed. With a little bit of effort, the three of them were able to shift their gears and get themselves moving, taking care not to go as fast as Sora had. Jack swerved about, his drunkenness reflected in his motor skills.
"Why didn't anyone tell me drinking and driving don't go together?" he mumbled, trying his best to stay with the others.
When they came down to the other side of the hill they saw that Sora had figured out how to stop and was parked not far off, staring off into the distance. They came up beside him and looked off toward where he was looking. There were structures on the horizon, and they looked like huge bleachers. They must have been filled to capacity because they could hear cheers and applause even from where they sat. Loud and enthusiastic calls that flew through the sky to reach their ears.
"Seems everywhere we go there's something calling to us," Sora said out of the blue.
"Shall we go heedlessly towards it?" Jack asked.
"Heedlessly it is!" He was the first to drive off with haste, now with more control then he had a couple a seconds ago. The others weren't far behind him, heading in the direction of the unfolding event.
KHKHKHKH
Another uproar of cheers resounded from the packed-to-the-limit bleachers that rose to touch the very heavens. They were huge metal structures. They had to be massive to hold its unique audience of talking cars. There were hundreds of them, all different colours and shapes, waving banners or simply cheering enthusiastically. Cars, minivans, even trailers were applauding in unison. The celebrations were also seen in the sky. Fireworks went off in fantastic patterns and colours, while rained confetti rained down. Living fighter planes bolted in V pattern formation for amazing visual entertainment. It was all breathtaking to the Keybladers as they rolled onto the scene.
"What is all this?" Mulan whispered. Cars were driving up from all directions, all with the same excitement in their eyes.
"I don't know," Sora answered. "What do cars have to be excited about?"
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A red Mini Cooper rolled up to them, its windshield outlined in black to make it look like a mask, and a green cap was on its roof. From the small size and big attitude, it was clear that it was Bigtime Beagle. "I can't believe you chumps actually followed us inside. Biggest mistake you'll ever make!"
"I think you're the last person to be talking about big, shrimpy," Jack pointed out. Bigtime growled angrily.
"Duhh...he got you big time, Bigtime!" Another car drove up, a pickup truck. From the blank and stupid expression they knew immediately it was the dull-witted Baggy Beagle. "Hiya good guys! Fancy meeting you here!"
"Baggy, we hate them! Remember?" Bigtime reminded while growling.
"Oh yeah!" Baggy stared off for awhile, his slow brain trying to come up with something. "Duh...you guys smell!"
"That's tellin' em', Baggy!" The Keybladers sighed in annoyance. "Now that the insults are out of the way, we can get right down to brawlin'! Come on! I'm ready for ya! Bring. It. On! I'm not afraid of you! Put up your dukes! I'm a cannon waiting to be fired!" His little wheels zipped around the Keybladers, Baggy chuckling stupidly at the back.
"I daresay this could be the easiest dimension yet," Sora stated. They didn't have to look for them, they came right to him! "Sorry, guys. Got to send you back home now. Our friends will take care of you from there." One Chronosphere blast would send them both packing back to Disney Castle. Yup...one hit...any minute now. It was just a matter of finding the machine. "Hey, my Chronosphere's gone!" Even if his body was now an automobile, he'd still be able to locate it on his person. It just wasn't on his person.
"Mine's gone too!" Kairi exclaimed in shock.
"I can't find mine either!" Mulan cried when she found her's missing as well.
"I may have pawned mine and forgot about it," Jack Sparrow shrugged. Sora frowned in shock. All their Chronospheres were gone. Not only could they not send Bigtime and Baggy back without them, they couldn't get back either.
"Awww, what's the matter? Lost your toys?" Bigtime laughed mockingly. "Well, too bad! Cause you got a whole lotta trouble coming your way! Come on! Let's get crazy!" A stampede of cars, both young and old, suddenly overtook Bigtime, carrying him off to wherever they were going despite his protests. "Hey! Get away from me! I got to wail on some losers!"
"I'm a coming, Bigtime!" Baggy chuckled happily, trotting off after the crowd. The Keybladers, also curious to where this huge mass of cars were gathering, tagged along behind them.
"Welcome race fans!" The crowd of cars had all stopped before a raised platform where two cars sat parked, high above the others. Both wore headsets and mics, their voices projecting over the cheering crowd. With little difficulty, the Keybladers pushed their way past the other cars to get to the front, listening to the announcement expectantly. "Welcome to what has simply become the biggest event in the history of racing, here in beautiful Nevada!" The one that had just spoken was a navy blue coloured car. The other car had flames painted on his sides, had a southern accent, and spoke right after his partner.
"Tom, there are nearly two hundred-thousand cars here today! Tickets to this race are hotter than a black leather seat on a hot summer day!"
"Brilliant use of analogies, Darrel!"
"Thanks Bob!"
Sora raised one of his eyes. Race?
"I'm Bob Cutlass," said the blue car.
"And I'm Darrel Cartrip," the flame car finished.
"And we are coming to you live on location from the Nevada desert, where the biggest race of the century is about to begin!"
"That's right, Bob. Hundreds of loyal race fans have come to see their heroes race. Just like bees to honey! All of our race cars here today will be competing for one thing!" A small platform rose from the stage they were parked on, and on that platform was a golden trophy.
"The Piston Cup!" Bob announced, and the audience immediately broke into insane cheers.
"Now that is a treasure!" Jack gasped, the brightness of the trophy blinding him. Sora stared at it. It certainly looked impressive. Too him it was just a trophy, to the screaming fans it was like the Holy Grail. It was made of solid gold, brilliantly radiant, sitting on a wooden base where gold letters spelled 'PISTON CUP'. It was even decorated. Golden tools filled the mouth of the cup, and four strange jewels were embedded into the wooden base, stars circled the... Wait a minute...
"The Chronospheres!" Sora exclaimed in alarm. The four base encrustments that Sora thought were jewels were actually the Chronospheres, fused into the Piston Cup.
"How did they get there?" Kairi gasped when she saw it too.
"Something must have torn them away from us when we got here!" Mulan concluded. Bigtime suddenly popped his car hood out from the front of the crowd, scowling in irritation. He saw the Keybladers looking wide-eyed at that big trophy and his little mind clicked.
"So, they need that thing, huh?" he chuckled nastily. "That just makes me want it more!" He broke away from the crowd and drove straight at the trophy, barely getting a few feet before two big-rig trucks with the word SECURITY stamped on their hoods blocked him off, glaring at him threateningly. Bigtime smiled weakly. "Sorry, me no speak English? Hehe? I'll go now..." Smartly, he went in reverse.
"Now what do we do?" Sora asked the others. "How are we supposed to get the Chronospheres back?"
"Oh, I know! I know!" Jack shouted exuberantly, waving his tire in the air.
"Something that doesn't involve stealing," Sora stated, but Jack's tire was still up. "Or manslaughter." Still up in the air. "Or carslaughter." Jack put his tire back down and pouted.
"Some of you may be asking yourselves, 'how does one attain such a prize?'," they heard Darrel shout, as if hearing their pleas. "Well, there's only one way to get it! Win the Piston Cup Grand Prix!" More wild applause.
"The Piston Cup is the grand prize for the first place winner of today's race," Bob continued. "Whoever wins that cup, wins it all. They'll go home happy campers!"
"And you can be sure we'll never see this cup again! They'll probably lock it up so tight that it will never again see the light of day!" Whatever else they were going to say was drowned out by the fans excessive noise.
"They certainly summed it up nicely for us," Mulan said in approval.
"And now, who better to see of this race?" Darrel said loudly.
"Here as the starter for this spectacular event is the master of the speedway himself!" Bob hollered, and the audience was on the edge of their wheels. "Ladies and gentlecars, give it up for your reigning Piston champion!"
"Lightning McQueen!" The roar of a powerful engine and a new player sped onto the scene. A red race car with the number ninety-five tattooed over a lightning bolt appeared in a blur of speed, spinning off dirt in clouds. He spun around the space between the stage and the crowd that was going wild at the display. He was incredible. Such a confident display of power and speed rolled into one race car, and the crowd was eating it up. Then he came to a showy stop, smiling with sparkly teeth.
"Take your pictures now everybody!" Lightning McQueen said. "Because lightning rarely strikes twice!" The cars roared at the champion.
Sora gulped. "This may be tougher than I thought."
KHKHKHKH
It wasn't hard to get Sora signed up for the big race. Admittedly there had been a few snags in the beginning. The race officials weren't about to let some kid they had never seen or heard of before enter a race for professionals, and they weren't going to budge on the subject. Luckily they had Jack Sparrow on their side. All it took was five minutes alone with the pirate to convince them otherwise. They didn't know how he did it, but as they were leaving the registration desk they could swore they saw the officials passing around what could only be rum.
It was decided Sora should be the one to race seeing as he was the only one who was in a form most suited for racing. The others would watch from the bleachers. And secretly, Sora was eager for a chance to give racing a shot. Currently he was in a large garage with all the other cars that would be competing. There sure were a lot of them. Each one being worked on by a pit crew in preparation for the big race.
"So..." Rolling up to him was none other then Lightning McQueen himself. "You're the new kid I've heard so much about. I thought it was just a rumour. But rumours are just another word for truth. What's your name, kid?"
"Sora," the boy answered.
"Sora? Doesn't really have much pizzaz to it. How are people gonna take you seriously if you don't have pizzaz? Whatever. Come with me, kid." Lightning began to drive away, expecting Sora to follow. Sora shrugged and followed after.
"So tell me, Sora," Lightning said as they drove past the other race cars. "Why would a runt like you want to compete in the Piston Grand Prix? Got something to prove?"
"I'm just trying to get the trophy, really," Sora admitted. Lightning clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
"Oh, Sora. I used to be just like you. A young hotshot rookie who doesn't care about anything but himself."
"Huh?"
"There's more to racing then just a trophy."
"No, you don't get it-"
"Sure, it may bring you a little bit of joy..."
"No, I just-"
"But in the end, you'll find it's just an empty cup."
"You don't understand. I need the trophy," Sora said slowly.
"Well, a lot of people here feel the same way you do. They seem to think they need it too. You better be careful, rookie." If Sora had arms, he would slap his forehead, or throttle Lightning, he wasn't sure which. "I used to feel that way. Then I met someone. A good friend. And despite his rather outlandish nature he managed to show me the error of my selfish ways."
"Hey Lightning!" An very rusty tow truck rolled up to the two of them, buck teeth and southern accent to boot. "There you are! We got to get you all prepared for the big race! Get-r-done! I love saying that!"
"Sora, this is my friend Mater," Lightning introduced, to which Mater grinned proudly. "Mater helped me out a long time ago. Showed me there's more to life than simple glory. I know! I was surprised too!"
"Nice to meet you, Sora!" Mater exclaimed happily. "You're a small little feller', ain't you? Lightning, come on! We got to fill up your gas tanks and all the other stuff we cars do!"
"In a minute, Mater," Lightning assured. "Just got to teach a rookie the true meaning of racing."
"Again? Boy, I feel sorry for you kid. The only reason I been able to sit through it is because I have a low attention span! Oh, look a penny!" And than he rolled off without even a goodbye. As Sora watched him go, he checked out the other racers. There was a lot of tough looking competition. All of them looked like they could burn rubber. This would be quite the challenge for him. While scanning the competition, there was one car in particular that caught his eye.
It was a white Volkswagen Beetle with the number fifty-three stamped on its hood and doors, with red, white and blue racing stripes running from his front bumper to his back. His windshield didn't have eyes, in fact Sora could see his steering wheel and seats inside. It didn't look like he had a mouth either. Among all these other race cars it looked terribly out of place, but being in the garage, it had to be a contender.
"Say Lightning," he called to the champ, who was still going on with his lecture even though Sora wasn't listening. "Who's that guy?" Lightning looked to where Sora was looking, eyes falling on the white buggy.
"That guy?" Lightning whispered. "That guy's a mystery. He just popped out of nowhere one day! No one knows where he came from. But he can race with the best of them. He never says a word, kinda like the strong silent type. The guy's a complete enigma. We all know his name, though. Herbie." Sora eyes widened slightly at the car's story, turning back to look at the beetle car again.
"Herbie...," he said softly. Almost as if he heard him, Herbie suddenly looked straight at Sora and then, with one headlight, winked.
KHKHKHKH
If the crowd in the bleachers was loud before, it was nothing compared to the cries being emitted when the race was about to start. As the race cars lined up to the starting line, Sora among them, the crowd went absolutely wild. Banners in recognition of their favourite drivers were waved everywhere to honour them, concessioners went down the aisles to sell their merchandise of hot dogs and beer hats. Everything was ready to get this race underway.
"This is the moment we've all been waiting for, race fans!" The voice of Bob Cutlass was heard from the announcers box where he and his partner Darrel Cartrip announced the events. "The Piston Cup Grand Prix is about to begin!"
"You bet your radiator it is, Bob!" Darrel exclaimed. "And you can just tell these fans are ready for some racing! I know I am!"
"You and me both partner! But let's remember, this is no ordinary circuit race. This course will pit our drivers against the great wilderness of Nevada. Through the forests, mountains, and the deserts they'll have to go before they arrive back here and cross that finish line."
"That sure sounds like a challenge to me! You think I could race in that?"
"I don't know, does your life insurance cover death?"
Sora rolled up to behind the starting position, lining up with the other cars there. The white car named Herbie was just a few cars down from him and he looked ready for anything. Not far off, Lightning McQueen drove up to his position, waving at screaming cars as he did. From what he heard, Lightning was his biggest competition. He liked him and all but he had to win that trophy to get back home and stop the Beagle Boys.
"Go Sora!" Sora looked to the bleachers. Sitting in the front row were his friends, waving at him. Kairi was smiling brightly, Mulan was waving a makeshift banner she made that had his name on it, and Jack was sucking some rum through a tube from the beer hat he had purchased.
"Duh...who are we cheering for again, Bigtime?" Baggy asked. By some crazy twist of fate, the Beagle Boys had somehow ended up sitting next to the Keybladers, with the chipper Mater sitting in-between them.
"We're not cheering for anybody!" Bigtime snapped, his already slim patience growing thinner. "We're booing people! Especially hero boy done there! Boooooo! You ain't got game!" Baggy drooped slightly.
"But I want to cheer for someone..."
"Well, you can cheer for my buddy Lightning down there!" Mater said helpfully. "We're best buds, him and me, me and him! Sure we got our differences, but what team doesn't? He gonna win the Piston cup, you know?"
"He did what in a cup?" Baggy gasped.
The racers were all ready at the starting line, their engines humming in preparation. Their windshield eyes were determined, their mouths set in a grim line. Lightning's engine was the loudest among them, looking pretty confident and excited. Herbie the Lovebug honked his horn in anticipation, hopping up and down. Sora just prayed he remembered how to work this body, swallowing the huge lump in his throat. The light sign hanging from the sign lit up, spelling out the words ON YOUR MARKS.
The cars did so.
GET SET
They revved their engines loudly.
GO
Tires screeched as soon the starting beep sounded and the air was filled with the sound of cheers. The sand flew in clouds and the racers took off down the track with all the speed they could, trying to keep ahead of the other cars. Their engines roared to drown out their fans, and they sped out of view of the audience, racing off for the unknown.
"And they're off!" Bob shouted through the speakers. "There they go, sports fans! The Piston Cup Grand Prix has begun!"
"As expected, Lightning McQueen has taken an early lead!" Darrel announced. Through the magic of television, the cheering fans could see all that was happening to the race cars via a Jumbotron screen, now depicting Lightning zooming ahead. "That hotshot wonder has a need for speed, Bob! Oh, but Herbie the Lovebug has broken away from the pack, and is tailing McQueen for second place!"
"But what's this? Sora, the rookie who appeared from nowhere, with nobody expecting much from him, isn't doing anything! He hasn't even left the starting gate!" The words of Bob Cutlass were true, Sora hadn't moved at all, because he had forgotten how!
"Ahahahaha!" Bigtime laughed meanly. "Look at the little loser! He must have muffler between his legs! Ahahahahaha!"
"Uh, yeah! He's all goofy!" Baggy chuckled.
"Looks like he got a case of cold tires!" Mater laughed.
"Mater!" Sora shouted, feeling betrayed.
"Sorry. Everyone was doing it. I just wanted to be popular!"
"Come on, Sora! You can do it!" Kairi cried reassuringly. "Just one tire in front of the other...no wait, roll them in front of...the other. How does it work?"
"What the lad lacks is proper motivation," Jack explained matter-of-factly. "Hey, Sora! Did you know Lightning McQueen hit on Kairi?"
"WHAT!" Immediately Sora's wheels spun and his engine blasted fumes before he blasted down the track after the other racers.
"And there he goes! Man, what do you think made him jump, Bob?"
"I'm not sure but it's still going to be hard for him to catch up to the leaders. But hey, this race is only just beginning!"
"And I didn't even get to say goodbye," Mater said with regret. "Goodbye! Okay, I'm good."
After glaring pointedly at Jack for his inspirational words, Kairi watched Sora speed off
into the horizon. "See that, Beagle Boys? Sora's gonna win this thing and after that, you're-" The Beagle Boys were gone from their seats, both Bigtime and Baggy. Kairi tilted her frame in confusion. Where did they go?
KHKHKHKH
"Duh, what are we are we doing again?" Baggy asked his brother as they drove alone in the desert. Bigtime was busy setting up a wooden sign but answered anyway.
"Those guys want that trophy, and I heard them saying it had something to do with sending us back. We got to make sure they don't win it! No matter what!" Bigtime rolled back to examine his work, a white arrow-shaped sign that said DETOUR, then grinned mischievously. "Come on! They're coming!" Both of them went off to hide as the first cars began to approach.
"They are now moving through the deserts with Lightning McQueen still leading the pack!"
"This a harsh and unforgiving landscape, Bob. Brutal on the tires! You could fry a monkey out there!"
"Uh...right.'
Lightning raced down the dirt road almost as fast as his namesake, keeping well ahead of the other drivers. He was smiling, deeply enjoying the race now, as if he was the only one there. He could see something ahead as he drove...a sign. Coming to a stop, he saw the white arrow marker. "Detour, huh?" he muttered. "Well, I've never said no to mysterious sign before!" He turned and headed down the way the arrow was pointing. When the other racers saw that he broke away, they thought that it was the designated path and followed after. Sora came after awhile, still a ways away from the others, and followed the sign as well. Everything was going great, quite smoothly but, suddenly, a car in front of him sank into the ground.
"What the?!" Sora gasped. More of the cars ahead were getting stuck in the sand, shouting in surprise and alarm as they sank into it.
"Oh my gosh! The group has entered a field of quicksand! This wasn't on the race schedule!"
"Darrel, I am getting word that someone has placed a detour sign on the race track."
"That explains everything! Curse those deathtraps!"
"Whoa! Hey! Lookout!" Lightning cried, avoiding the dark patches of sand that could immobilize him. "The signs have betrayed me! This must be a sign! Wait, how does that work?" Thanks to his superb driving skills, Lighting was able to steer clear of the traps and got himself out of the quicksand valley, making a note never to trust detour signs again.
Sora swerved left and right, dodging the quicksand the best he could. "I think I prefer solid road! Not to mention legs! I'd love legs!" A patch of sinking sand was coming up fast without enough time to stop. He would have been caught inside if Herbie had not come out of nowhere to knock him off the path just in time. "Whew! Thanks Herbie!" Herbie honked happily then sped off with as much speed as any race car here. In a flash the Keyblade appeared in Sora's mouth, then flamed up for a firaga spell. It bombarded the sand with fireballs that instantly melted the sand into glass, making a safe path out of the quicksand field so that he could rejoin the race.
"Ah nuts!" Bigtime snarled, coming out of hiding with Baggy. "Forgot about that key thing. I was sure that work! No problem. We just need to be a bit more clever."
"Duh, Bigtime. How comes you're shrinking?" Baggy asked.
"What are talking about? I ain't-" Bigtime stopped because he was shrinking, into quicksand he had not too smartly stepped into, panicking and sputtering as he sank deeper. "Quick! Baggy! Throw me a rope!" Baggy threw him a pile of rope that also sank into the ground. "You stupid, lousy, glubglubglub..."
"Duh, Bigtime? Where'd you go?" Baggy stammered, looking around stupidly for his brother, unaware of the bubbles rising from the quicksand.
KHKHKHKH
"The quicksand was quick but our racers were quicker, and most of the unnamed cars were taken out! But that's all behind them now folks! Our racers are now coming up on Death Gulch!"
"Aptly named for all the death that could occur there!"
"Gee, Darrel, did you figure that out all by yourself?"
"Shut up, Bob."
Death Gulch was a huge canyon that split the very land in half, spanning at least fifty metres across, leading down into a chasm so deep it could lead into the very Underworld. The only way to get across the obstacle was a wide and sturdy bridge spanning the entire width of the canyon. Much too big to get around, the racers had no choice but to cross over the trench.
"No way, partner! You ain't outracing me!" Lighting and Herbie drove side by side, both seemingly equal in speed. It was clear that they were rivals in this race. Lightning was a skilled and powerful race car, but Herbie was just as skilled and unpredictable. The couldn't best each other. The bridge over Death Gulch was coming up fast and, unfortunately, it was only wide enough for one car. Both cars sped up, trying desperately to reach the path first, the danger of a collision approaching them. Then, with a burst of speed, Lightning tore ahead, cutting off Herbie and safely driving onto the bridge.
"Yeah! Too close for comfort there!" Suddenly Herbie's wheel axles extended, lifting the Lovebug high off the ground, then carrying him over the surprised McQueen. The axles then switched back to normal and Herbie landed in front, claiming first place. "Hey! You can't do that! Can he do that? I don't think he can do that! But he did!" All he got were honks in the form of laughter from Herbie, both of them driving over the bridge and onto the other side.
On the cliff side of Death Gulch emerged Bigtime and Baggy from hiding. "Okay, new plan," Bigtime growled, quicksand still dripping from his paint job. "We blow that bridge and send Sora down under! Then we'll be rid of him for good!"
"How we gonna do that?" Baggy asked.
"With this!" He pulled a huge bazooka out of nowhere, making Baggy stumble backwards. The small car wielding the big gun smiled evilly, taking careful aim at the center of the bridge. When he fired he was thrown back but sent a rocket hurtling at the bridge, blowing it into smithereens and leaving a gaping hole in the centre. "Whot! That's I'm talking about, baby!"
It wasn't long before the back trotting cars began to come upon the bridge. They shouted and hit their brakes when they caught sight of the disaster, crashing into each other to avoid falling into the abyss. Metal crunched and dented in the collisions, made all the worse by the fact that the cars were alive and in pain. Thankfully, no one fell, but in the chaos to stop in time the cars had created a disastrous pile up before the opening in the bridge, making it all the more impossible to move on.
"Holy gas tanks! The Death Gulch bridge blew up! What a freaky natural occurrence!"
"This is no natural occurrence, Darrel. I'm sensing something unnatural in this race of living, breathing cars!"
"Hold that thought, Bob, cause here comes Sora! He's gonna have to pull a rabbit out of his hat to get out of this one!"
Sora wasn't any kind of genius, but it didn't take one to figure out that the Beagle Boys were behind this somehow. And as he drew closer to the crash sight, he had to think fast! There was no way to get past the five foot pile of cars, and all that was on the other side was a deep drop. So, Sora did what he did best when faced with a tough situation. Act irrationally! Sora significantly increased his speed despite the obstacle ahead, rushing headlong, running up one of the crashed cars like a ramp. This propulsion launched Sora into the air, soaring over both the cars and the broken bridge, landing safely and with showmanship on the other side.
"As soon as I get home, I'm getting my licence!" Sora laughed then drove off after the leaders.
"Incredible! What a spectacular display! Never in my six weeks on the job have I seen anything like that!"
"This rookie sure knows how to drive, Darrel! And these fans are eating it up!"
"Alright Sora! That's sticking it to them!" Kairi cheered to the Sora on the Jumbotron. She was not alone in supporting the young Keyblader. Along with Mulan, and Jack some ways, a good portion of the bleachers were now in favour of the boy, chanting his name in exuberance. He had quickly gained popularity despite his embarrassing start, his excellent and unique racing style catching quite a few eyes.
"Get your 'I LOVE SORA' flags here!" Jack Sparrow hollered, parading down the aisles with an assortment of Sora memorabilia, making quite the pretty penny. "Nothing says you love Sora more than an 'I LOVE SORA' flag! If that's not your thing, get a 'SORA'S #1' foam finger! They make your fingers look really big!"
"I'll take twelve!" Mater exclaimed.
Back at the cliffs of Death Gulch, Bigtime hopped up and down angrily, stupefied his brilliant scheme didn't work. "Why isn't anything going right!? Ma is gonna have our heads if we don't do that kid in!" Baggy didn't answer, too fascinated by the pretty butterfly he was following. "Okay! No more mister nice guy! Time to pull out the big guns! That twerp is going down!"
"Duh, come back here butterfly!" Baggy laughed, chasing the flying bug, unintentionally bumping Bigtime into...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" ...into the dark and gaping abyss that was Death Gulch, disappearing into the blackness. Baggy cautiously peaked over the edge.
"Don't worry, Bigtime!" he called, his voice echoing of the walls. "I'm sure it's only mostly bottomless!"
KHKHKHKH
"This has been one crazy race, Darrel."
"I'll say, Bob. Quicksand, explosions, this is one for the history books! I'm a little concerned and excited as to what will happen next!"
"You and me both partner. Especially as this race is drawing to a close! The last obstacle for them to pass before they can cross the finish line are the Precarious Peaks! The trail through the mountains!"
"Our racers will have to avoid pointy rocks, dangerous pathways, and various other nasty surprises! Let's see how their doing now."
Lightning and Herbie still competed against one another for first place, zipping down the trail with the mountains of the Precarious Peaks on either side of them. They wouldn't allow each other to gain any ground. Herbie would pass Lightning to take the lead, only for Lightning to speed up and cut Herbie off. Neither one was able to hold their place so they just kept going all the way.
"Champion Lightning McQueen and Herbie the Lovebug are still duking it out for first place! Incredible!"
"What do you expect, Bob? Ever since the race began it's been between those two! Just two champion race car drivers competing for the cup!"
"Bite your tongue, Darrel, cause it's not just between the two of them now! It's everyone's favourite rookie! Here comes Sora!"
Coming up hot and fast behind the two rival racers was the black sports car with the goofy grin. Sora burned rubber like never before, the urge and passion for competition flowing through him like a river. It was like racing was in his blood and it was all coming out in this race. He couldn't explain it, but he was just having the time of his life!
"Looks like we got us a natural born racer here!" Lightning laughed, glancing back to see Sora. Herbie honked in agreement. "Then let's give him a race that he could be proud of! Route sixty-six, baby!" With a loud rev he blasted down the mountain path, Herbie behind him, and Sora not far off from either of them.
"It's all come down to this, folks! All the other racers have been eliminated! It is now down to these three for the Piston Cup!"
"I'm getting goose bumps, Bob! I just can't take it! I need some air!"
"Go Lightning! Go Sora! Go Herbie!" Mater cheered, wearing a dozen Sora foam fingers, seven Lightning banners, and a big top hat with Herbie's colours and number. All of which he bought from one pirate. "Drive like there's a big rock on your tail! No, you're doing it wrong!"
"If Sora loses we can't get home," Mulan worriedly said. "What will happen if we get stuck here?" Her question was directed at Jack but he seemed too preoccupied with counting all the munny he made from merchandising, and speaking to some other car about something.
"Mmm? Oh right. Terrible. But my munny down for..." He trailed off and Mulan sighed in annoyance.
Meanwhile back at the Precarious Peaks, two criminals were plotting their final scheme. Actually one was plotting, the other was staying out of the way on the first's orders. They waited on the top of a high mountain cliff, looking down over the path that the race would have to go through. Bigtime set up the final preparations to his plan, making sure this time that nothing went wrong.
"Alright, this is the plan that's gonna work!" He rolled backwards away from the dynamite plunger that he had been working on, smiling in satisfaction. "I've set up dynamite all through this canyon! Once they come down this path, we'll blow them up and bury them alive! And that'll be the end of Mr. Keyblader! Sometimes I'm so clever I even impress myself!"
"Duh, you're my hero, Bigtime!" Baggy said admirably. Bigtime grinned proudly.
"Thanks. I know it! You know what, Baggy? I'm gonna give you the honour of destroying Sora yourself!"
"Really!?" Baggy gushed.
"Sure! Come over here!" Baggy skipped over, rather than walked. "Now, once they come down that path, I'll tell you when to press down on the plunger. When you do, you'll blow the walls and create a rockslide that will completely crush them all! It's perfect!"
"Won't we get blown up too?"
"No way! We're at a good enough distance so the rocks won't come down on us. We're completely safe! I thought of everything!" The unmistakable sound of roaring engines was heard echoing through the trail. "Okay, they're coming! Get ready!" Baggy positioned himself over the plunger just as the cars came into view. Lightning, Herbie and Sora drove down in that order, each one just barely keeping ahead of the other. Bigtime leaned over the cliff's edge to get a better view, smile growing wider.
"Wait for it..." They were getting closer now. He leaned over more. "Wait for it..." Baggy got ready, and Bigtime leaned over the edge the most he could, not noticing the cliff beginning to crumble at his wheels. "Now-AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The stone Bigtime parked on broke apart and he fell, bouncing painfully off the canyon walls before landing upside down on the mountain trail.
"Now?" Baggy echoed. "Okay!" The plunger came down.
Explosions instantly started going off. A fiery chain of violent releases of energy went through the mountains in abundance, shaking them off their foundations, breaking them apart. Large pieces of rock began raining down from the hills, crashing down onto the path the racers drove down, creating utter chaos and destruction. And unfortunately, Bigtime had unwittingly fallen into his own trap.
"I should have been a dentist," he sighed as the boulders came down upon him.
"Whoa! Hey! What's going on!?" Sora exclaimed, doing everything he could to avoid the falling rocks. They crashed down like meteors, threatening to crush him like a grape. Frantically he drove around them, rubble from their impacts pelting him in the face. Herbie seemed to be doing alright, swerving away from the stones swiftly and easily, with more skill then even a race car. The white car was truly a wonder.
"Not cool! This is not cool!" Lightning yelled, also dodging the landslide. "I may have got more than I bargained for in this race! Rock beats Lightning, I guess!" A large boulder was bearing down upon him. Sora quickly summoned the Keyblade and shot firaga, blowing the rock to dust. "Whew! All sorts of weird things happening today! If I live to get out of this, I'm retiring!"
"This is terrible ladies and gentlemen! Our racers are in terrible danger! A rockslide has occurred in the Precarious Peaks, and the three are just barely avoiding it!"
"I guess that why they're called the Precarious Peaks, Bob! All the freak explosions that happen there must make it very difficult to get around!"
"Darrel, were you dropped on your head as a baby?"
"Repeatedly, why?"
"Oh no! They'll all be crushed out there!" Kairi gasped in horror, watching the events unfold on the big screen television. Rocks were falling everywhere in the path. It seemed impossible for them to get out in one piece. Then, suddenly, the screen went static. "No!"
"Hey, where'd TV Lighting go?" Mater asked in disbelief. The crowd was expressing their displeasure as well through angry shouts and protests.
"What's going on!? We've lost the signal!"
"Our cameras must have been smashed by those boulders! Without them we have no way of knowing what's happening, or if they're even alright."
"I hate to say this, race fans. But it looks like those boys are on their own."
The three cars remaining in this race momentarily put it aside just so they could get out of it alive. Life before glory, after all. The falling rocks were beginning to lessen, almost like a light drizzle now. "Hey, there's the exit!" Lightning shouted. At the end of the track was the opening out of the canyon between two rock walls.
"We're almost there!" Sora exclaimed happily. Herbie suddenly starting honking in alarm, attracting both their attentions. Then their eyes went to the thing rolling behind them. The biggest boulder yet was right on their tail, the size of a house, rolling after them like it had a mind of its own with only gravity steering it. With equal screams, the three blasted off the fastest they could, the boulder right behind them.
"This can't be happening!" Lightning McQueen whined. "Do I look like Harrison Ford!? I'm way prettier!" Herbie beeped loudly to scold him.
"Just to get to the end!" Sora shouted back. The boulder was gaining on them quickly, and the exit to the canyon was just a few feet away. They had to really move it if they were gonna make it! The rolling stone was almost touching their bumpers, just about to reach them when they got though the exit. The boulder crashed into the walls, the gap to narrow for it to fit, but the shockwave of the impact enough to send all three cars flying. Sora, Lightning and Herbie plowed into the sand, all throughly exhausted.
Sora wearily reopened his eyes, his tires spread out and slumped. He could see Lightning and Herbie were in similar position. Racing was a lot tougher when you were the car. It didn't look like any of them were getting up anytime soon; they may have reached their limits. Peacefully, they all just lay there. Until they heard it.
Cheering.
All three of them turned their eyes forward where, on the horizon, the crowded bleachers sat, filled with cheering fans and with them, the finish line. It was right there, not even a few miles away. The end. Sora looked at Lightning, Lightning looked at Herbie, Herbie looked at Sora. The Keyblader and the red race car both grinned and the Lovebug honked in eagerness.
"Folks, this is a very solemn hour. Our race officials have no idea where Lightning, Herbie or Sora could be. They are missing and presumed scrapped."
"I'm not gonna cry..."
The mood of the crowd in the stands had exponentially changed for the worse. The cheering had lessened considerably when the Jumbotron signal was cut. With their heroes missing there seemed to be no need for celebration. Mater bowed his head in extreme sadness. "He was my best friend..."
Jack Sparrow also sighed. "Now how am I gonna win my bet?" Mulan and Kairi rounded to glare at him. "I mean, I hope Sora's okay! It would be terrible for him to be struck down! Poor lad!" Kairi sighed and looked to the horizon.
"Come on, Sora..." she whispered. Despite her pleas, no one was seen coming. Kairi bowed her head and Mulan was there to comfort her.
"Wait a minute... I see something!"
Kairi's head shot back up. Hers and everyone's eyes swivelled to the horizon. Someone was coming. Silhouettes could be seen in the distance.
"I can't make them out I - wait! It's them! It's them! They're coming!"
Sora, Herbie and Lightning McQueen tore it up through the wide open desert, fastest they've ever gone, dirt flying in heaps behind them. Sora drove with Lightning on his left and Herbie on his right, staying side by side with each other as they rushed on for the last leg of the race.
"They're alright! And they're going for the finish!"
The horde of fans mood changed just as quickly as before, breaking out of depression into loud and righteous cheers. Their flags were lifted and waved like crazy, the names of their favourite racer chanted. This was by far the most exiting race any of them had ever seen. Through all the challenges in this race it had come down to these three where only one would emerge as victor and Piston Cup Grand Prix champion.
"Go Sora! Go!" Sora shouted in support.
"You can do it, Lightning! You get-r-done!" Mater hollered with happy laughter.
"Drive you little bugger drive!" Jack shouted. "I got all my munny riding on you!"
"This is unbelievable! They are neck-in-neck-in-neck! I've never seen anything like this before!"
"Only one of them can cross that finish line first! This could be anybody's race! They are completely equal!"
"The three of them can all be considered winners here today, but in the end only one of them can walk away with the Piston Cup! Who will it be!? Lightning? Sora? Herbie? I just can't tell!"
"Hold me, Bob."
"Only if you hold me."
The rival racers zipped across the desert in less time than it takes to say it. It was do or die from here on out. Equal in speed and giving it their all they could not pass each other to gain any kind of lead and could only stay clumped together. They were tied in every way possible. Lightning was determined and proud, the champion looking to defend his title. Herbie a mystery, racing for the very joy of the sport. Sora, doing it for the very betterment of the universe itself. No matter what happened, these three wouldn't hold it against one another. They respected each other as true racers, because that's what this was about: racing.
"They're approaching the finish line!"
They entered the bleacher area.
"They're tied for first!"
The audience held its breath.
"I can't watch!"
At last moment, Sora pushed slightly ahead, just as he crossed the finish line.
"SORA WINS!"
"Yes!" Kairi exclaimed hopping up from her seat, joined by the entire world it seems because it sounded like the entire world was cheering for Sora. The bleachers roared with screams and applause in recognition of the winner of the Piston Cup Grand Prix, hundreds of cars shouting the boy's name.
"No! No! No! No!" Jack whined, hitting his head over and over gain with the railing. "All that munny! I lost all the proceeds! Stupid betting system!"
"What are you talking about? Sora won!" Mulan informed.
"Who said I bet on Sora!? I never expected that bugger to win! I lost everything!" Jack hid his face and cried to his heart's content. Mulan sighed again, then smiled. When would he ever learn?
KHKHKHKH
The award ceremonies went off without a hitch. Sora sat parked on a platform reserved for the winner of the Grand Prix, with Lightning and Herbie on two lower platforms on either side of him. Confetti fell down in rainbows while the people cheered their loudest. The rookie without a story or even a sponsor had beaten all odds and bested some of the greatest racers in the world to become the new Piston Cup champion. Lightning McQueen didn't look angry though, or even disappointed, just passing on the torch. Herbie seemed to be smiling, making a happy honk as Sora was presented with the Piston Cup, to which the cars cheered again.
"This sure has been one crazy day hasn't it, Darrel?" Bob asked his partner, now out of the announcer's box and part of the festivities.
"You said a mouthful, Bob," Darrel replied. "Never would have thought that a rookie, let alone a kid, would win this thing! It's mind boggling!"
"What's mind boggling is what happened for them to get here! All these weird accidents!"
"But you got to admit, it drove the fans wild!'
"But that's not what racing is about! Racing is about honor, dignity, integrity, not about popularity! And as announcers to this great sport, it is our civic duty to uphold this noble and proud tradition."
Darrel rolled it around in his head a bit. "Nah, screw it. Let's hit the snack booth."
"Yeah, alright. You're buying."
Sora stepped down from the winners circle, the Piston Cup balanced on his roof, presenting it to the crowd that loved him. "Got to hand it to you, Sora." Lightning and Herbie drove up, Lightning obviously the one who just spoke. "You sure can race. You remind me of my younger days. But I don't even think I can drive the way you did. If anyone deserved to win, it was you." Herbie honked to agree. Sora grinned.
"Thanks Lightning!" Soon Kairi, Mulan, and a flat broke Jack Sparrow drove up as well.
"Nice work, Sora!" Kairi said cheerfully. "I knew you could do it!"
"Hey Sora!" Mater drove up, very pleased for some reason. "Congratulations on winning! Sorry Lightning!" Lightning shrugged. "By the way, I got you a little present to celebrate your victory! Hope you like it!" He was towing something behind him, revealing it to a very crumbled, very beat up Bigtime Beagle. Baggy was not too far behind, completely unharmed unlike his brother, and smiling. "Remember to feed him, clean up after him, put him through school, and bathe him! I even took the liberty of naming him! How do you like Rasputin?" Sora laughed aloud.
"Thanks Mater! This is the best gift ever!" He took the Piston Cup before him and pried out one of the Chronospheres with his teeth.
"Hey! Watch the trophy!" Lightning scolded. Sora readied the Chronosphere in his mouth, aiming it at the two Beagle Boys.
"Isn't this great, Bigtime?" Baggy asked his barely conscious brother. "We get to go back home! I forgot why we even came here in the first place!"
"I...hate...you...," Bigtime growled through the pain. The Chronosphere was activated and shot at the Beagle Boys, both of them shimmering and than vanishing from the motorized dimension.
"Can we go now?" Jack muttered annoyingly. "Barely a day in this place and I'm already out five hundred munny. But at least we got a nice golden trophy out of the whole thing." He eyed the object greedily. Sora had other plans though. Prying out the other Chronospheres he took the Piston Cup to McQueen, then gave it to him.
"Say Lightning. Think you could hold on too this for me? I don't think I can take it with me where I'm going." He distinctly heard Jack scream behind him but he took no notice. Lightning was a bit surprised and confused, though in the end, he smiled and took the trophy.
"I'd hate for the new champion not to be remembered. I'll keep it framed!" Sora grinned weakly at his odd statement. Then he turned to the Lovebug Herbie.
"See ya, Herbie! You sure are a good guy!" Herbie honked like laughter. Then his hood shot open and something flew at Sora's windshield. Directly on his eyes Sora took a glimpse. It was a necklace, with Herbie's number fifty-three. A summoning charm. Sora's widened and looked to Herbie for an answer, and Herbie winked at him. Sora figured that was the best he was gonna get.
"See ya everyone!" he laughed, taking his Chronosphere and biting down to activate it. The Keybladers disappeared just as the Beagle Boys did, leaving the dimension of racing safe for its inhabitants.
KHKHKHKH
Deep in the Fortress of Chaos, where the Omega Heartless roamed and the skeleton soldiers toiled, the evil Horned King smirked cruelly as his servant Azul the Cerulean entered his chambers carrying the prize he was seeking. Rosso and Nero were also present, scowling that Azul had bested them, but not voicing it. Their master was in a good mood, why ruin it? Azul stomped before the Horned King's throne and tossed the object he was carrying at his feet. The Princess of Heart Alice, unconscious but alive.
"All too easy," the blue giant said smugly. "The Princesses are much easier to gather the second time around."
"Excellent work, Azul," Horned King praised, in his inhuman voice. "That makes three. Four more are left. When Kingdom Hearts is ours your reward will be great. Put her with the others." Azul nodded and bowed, picking Alice back up and leaving for the dungeons. After he was gone, Horned King turned back to Rosso and Nero. "And what are your excuses for failing me?"
"We encountered complications with our missions," Nero explained calmly and humbly.
"Complications?"
"Yes," Rosso continued, annoyance in her voice. "For one thing, when we arrived in the designated worlds, we found that the Princesses were not even there. Either their locations had changed..." She looked straight at the Horned King, her red eyes to his. "Or someone got to them before we did." Her master scowled deeply.
"Maleficent," he growled, clenching his withered hand to a fist. "That witch is more of a nuisance then I thought she'd be. Of course she'd know where they are, she's done it before. For her to collect them so quickly must mean she has allies as well. Darkness take her."
"We do have one edge on her," Nero interrupted, smirking under his sickly mask. At this his master chuckled.
"Indeed we do." He snapped his fingers. The mysterious woman with the small white wing emerged from the shadows, features blank and empty. The Horned King then rose from his seat and approached his object of power in the middle of the room, the Black Cauldron. The Omega Heartless had spawned from this atrocity and no one else knew what it was capable of other than its master. "Miss Heartily...if you please...," he hissed to the woman, who nodded.
Her hands came together as if to pray to whatever god inhabited this dark place. A bright and blinding light then radiated off her person, brightening the dark chamber; the Horned King cringed slightly, but the woman didn't notice that. Her small wings began to expand and grow larger until they were large enough that should could have been confused for a angel. An angel fallen to hell. From her chest shot a small ball of light, blasting from her and sinking into the properties of the Black Cauldron, enveloping it in shadow. The liquid surface of the cauldron began to change, taking the shape of an image. A image of white walls and blue topped towers.
"The Princess of Heart's last known location," the woman said after her work was down. The minions of the dark stared inside.
"Disney Castle?" Nero questioned, doubtfully. "Is that accurate? Why would one be there?"
"I have no doubt in Miss Heartily's abilities," Horned King growled. "She knows the penalties of failure." He rounded to the woman now. "Leave us." She bowed her head and slipped off into the shadows. "It seems we'll have to deal with that world sooner than I realized. This is perfect. We can kill two birds with one stone and rid ourselves of that cartoon conundrum once and for all." Rosso and Nero both straightened.
"Your commands, my Lord?" Rosso asked.
"Inform Azul, go to Disney Castle and retrieve the Princess of Heart." The Horned King then smiled maliciously. "Then burn it to the ground. All of it."
And that concludes another chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews, adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt, turn it into a webcomic or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!