Kairi led the march outside. It was just as devoid of color there as it was inside Villain's Vale. The sky was a sheet of paper upon which someone had sketched clouds but no sun. Even in the sun's absence, shadows were cast, their delineations of gray marking where the castle's towers rose and the ground elevated.
The consensus was to get out of the seabed and make way for town, specifically the castle. The first part was easily achieved if only to lull the group into a false sense of security. In one great mob, they approached the city limits to notice right away the great oddity:
The castle in which they had lived but hours before was in full color, standing out against the grays and whites of the monochrome world.
"We just have to get there," Kairi muttered.
"It's not gonna be easy," Mickey told her. "I betcha this whole city is filled with traps Maleficent set for us."
"Then we'll just have to fight through them," Kairi asserted.
Waiting for just the right time to demonstrate how difficult the task would be, the ground beneath the group shook. Great fissures cracked beneath their feet, shuddering the ground into thirds. They scrambled to get to one side of a fissure or another; ten were pulled one way, eight another, and ten remaining in the center with a chasm to either side.
Once the quake had stopped, all rushed to the edges of the chasms, now several feet wide and far too spacious to jump over, to look down into them. A menacing liquid slopped and bubbled effervescently.
"Lava?" Chip wondered out loud.
"No," Mickey replied, calling it over from the far third. "It's paint thinner."
"It's WHAT?" Vida said in disbelief.
"I know because this is something from my own nightmares," Mickey said in a quavering voice. "If we were in color right now, that stuff would be bright green. I dream about it trying to wash me away."
"Why would paint thinner wash you away?" Cadance asked.
"I don't know," Mickey admitted. "It's a dream, so it's never made sense. But I know if you touch that stuff, you'll dissolve into nothing!"
"So it's less like paint thinner," Chip observed, "and more like person thinner."
"I guess you could say that," Mickey resolved.
"Forget the paint thinner!" Nora cried. "How are we supposed to get across?"
"Leave it to me!" Genie said as he stretched out his arms and cracked his knuckles. "One set of bridges comin' right up!"
"We might not need them!" Kairi pointed out. "We can all still get into town from this way, and this means we can split up to find different routes around traps! Whichever group reaches the castle first just has to go for it!"
"That is a pretty sound idea," Moana agreed.
"Just remember!" Mickey called out. "If you see any of that paint thinner, don't touch it!"
"We get the fuckin' picture," Cid called back.
It was now not one group but three that walked into the city limits of Radiant Garden, entering at three different points, all with one destination in mind: the last color visible on the horizon.
...
The Gale Shrine's gates were located in a mountainside cavern, through a dark passage located off to the side of the sloping Kusa Village. Here, five dogs of various shapes, sizes, and colors rested before the doors, barking to each other with tails wagging.
The arrival of a figure in a hooded cloak that obscured their face got all of the canine's attention right away. They leapt to their feet at once, all turning their backs to the gates of the shrine and their growling jaws in the stranger's direction.
"You must be the Satomi Canine Warriors!" the stranger greeted, withdrawing a large cloth sack from within his cloak. "You're all such good dogs, aren't you? Good doggies!"
The sack was dropped on the cavern floor. The five dogs, guardians of the Gale Shrine and its priestess, nosed around the bag, opening it up to reveal fresh raw meat. They dug into the spoils, eating heartily.
"Such good dogs," the stranger repeated, with a more sinister tone creeping in.
The first dog collapsed, tipping the other four off to the fact that something was terribly wrong. By that time, however, they had all ingested the food, and it went to work fast. Within a minute, all five of the Satomi Canine Warriors present had fallen to the ground, where they lay in slumber.
"Good dogs indeed," the stranger laughed, "who have fallen for my NEFARODIOUS SCHEME!"
The cloak was whipped off and discarded unceremoniously at the side of the cavern, revealing Zevon in all his glory. "You played right into my hands!" Zevon crowed. "That meat was lacinged with my very own sleeping potion! You won't wake up until we are long gone!"
"You know they can't hear you, right?" Irmaplotz stepped out of the shadows of the cavern entrance. "The only people who can hear you are me and Xerxes, and we already knew what your plan was."
Xerxes hovered around Irmaplotz's head, cackling, "Sleepy time, doggies!"
"SILENCIOUS!" Zevon growled as he pointed at Irmaplotz. "Explicainating the evil plan is one of the best parts of the plan!"
"Yeah, I know that," Irmaplotz stated plainly. "Which is why I always make sure the people I'm evil-ing on are awake to hear it."
"'Evil-ing isn't a word."
"YOU'RE telling me what isn't a word?"
Irmaplotz stepped carefully over the slumbering dogs, listening to a whine come out of one of their mouths as that dog entered a dream. "They're kinda cute," she commented. "Think we could get a dog for the team if we asked Mozenrath nicely?"
"I think the closest we're going to get to a dog is Xerxes," Zevon told her.
"Xerxes like dog!" the eel insisted. "Xerxes play fetch! Xerxes shake hands! Xerxes play dead!"
"Um…sure," Irmaplotz said tentatively. "You totally make up for not having a dog."
She approached the shrine doors, giving them an experimental tug. "Locked," she observed. "Just like we thought."
"But not for long," Zevon stated. "They'll open up in three…two…one."
Nothing happened.
Thirty seconds later, still nothing happened.
"This…is awkweird," Zevon said.
"Yeah, kinda is," Irmaplotz agreed.
"Wait," Zevon said suddenly, "I can feel it! Those doors are going to open up in three…two…one…NOW!"
Still nothing happened.
Clearing his throat, Zevon announced, "So…I'm getting used to you wearing those glasses."
"Thank you," Irmaplotz told him. "I was kind of afraid they – "
That was when the doors burst open from the inside, Firefly and Ragdoll leaning to either side of the frame.
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT TWO MINUTES EARLIER?" Zevon yelled.
"Sheesh, didn't realize we were on a schedule," Firefly groaned. "Anyway, you're gonna wanna see the inside of this building. This place is WEIRD."
"And not just because of the ominous atmosphere," Ragdoll added. "It almost seems like it could make a good base of operations, doesn't it?"
"Definitely got some kind of villain lair vibe goin' on," Firefly confirmed.
The interior of the Gale Shrine was dark and windowless, indeed contributing to the factor Firefly and Ragdoll had identified, though Irmaplotz could sense how that could seem holy to those of less villainous persuasions. There was something about the place that made her shudder simply because it felt too good.
The group progressed across a wooden walkway decorated with small windmills and into a circular room with a smaller chamber fenced off inside of it. "Here's where it gets weird," Firefly explained as he led the way into the chamber.
Irmaplotz, Zevon, and Xerxes could see why. The chamber's ceiling was vaulted up through several levels. Light spilled out of doorways set up above. It was quite clear what this chamber was supposed to be and even clearer what it was missing.
"It's an elevationer shaft!" Zevon identified.
"Yeah, missing one important thing," Firefly told him. "The elevator."
"I do hope you don't mind taking a more intimate form of travel," Ragdoll explained. "I know I don't."
"Basically, I'll carry you all up to the top floor one at a time," Firefly clarified. "Anybody who has a problem with that stays down here."
"I'm fine," Irmaplotz told him.
"I am definitionately not afraid of heights," Zevon said suspiciously specifically.
All the same, Firefly had a very difficult time getting Zevon to let go once they'd reached the uppermost floor. "It's OVER!" Firefly insisted as Zevon tightened his grip and kept his eyes shut. "We are NOT FLYING ANYMORE! We are on a SOLID FLOOR!"
"It's not that I blame you, of course," Ragdoll said idly. "After all, who wouldn't want to cling to Garfield for hours upon end?"
"I know you're trying to be romantic," Firefly grunted, "but I can't walk with him strapped to me, so do not encourage him to stay there."
"Hey, malapropism machine," Irmaplotz said as she approached Firefly and Zevon, rubbing her hands together to create green sparks of energy. "Let go."
She tapped Zevon gently with a finger, zapping a light charge into him. With a cry of pain, Zevon let go of Firefly and leapt back.
"Owe you for that one," Firefly told Irmaplotz. He held up a hand; "Spitfires."
Irmaplotz high-fived him. "Spitfires."
"Though we could probably use a new name for this team," Firefly mused. "R.D.? Thoughts?"
"We have a team name," Irmaplotz reminded him. "We're Problem Squad #1."
"Booooo-ring!" Ragdoll chirped. "I was thinking something more like…the League of Inconvenience."
"I like League of Inconvenience," Irmaplotz mused.
"Kinda pretentious," Firefly commented, "but that's what makes it great."
"You see, the best part about this building is that we hardly even needed to put any effort into breaking in," Ragdoll related as he led the team down the hall. "I was expecting having to fold up into a challengingly small aperture, that or having Firefly take his chances setting fire to one of the walls. However, as it turned out…"
The hallway opened up onto a balcony open to the air. After some twists and turns and flights of stairs, this balcony led to a protrusion that came out right in the center of the four blades of the great windmill that made up the shrine; as the divine wind blew, the blades spun on around the team of five.
"Big windmill," Xerxes commented.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Firefly replied.
"As you can see," Ragdoll went on, "we merely needed to fly to this point. It was barely even breaking in. I almost feel cheated."
"Well, don't," Zevon told him, "because you ended up hitting the jackpot o'lantern!"
"Sometimes I feel like I get physically dumber listening to you," Firefly grumbled.
"I resentuate that!" Zevon huffed. "But this is exactly what we wanted! Now we can stop the windmill from turning and make sure Amaterasu makes a deviantation from her path to come here!"
"So how shall we do it?" Ragdoll asked.
"You know I'm MORE than happy to set it on fire," Firefly volunteered.
"Yeah, well, remember what Mozenrath said," Irmaplotz recalled. "There has to be enough of the windmill left to save so they actually spend time saving it."
"Amaterasu has the power of regenercreation," Zevon reminded her. "We can destructoy as much of the windmill as we want."
"We'll compromise," Firefly decided. "I burn down PART of it."
"And I'll stop the fire with my ice potion!" Zevon retrieved a flask of bright blue liquid from his belt. "And they said it would be redundancytant so long as we had Vexen on the team!"
"Who actually said that?" Irmaplotz asked.
"That isn't important," Zevon said quickly.
Firefly blasted one of the blades, and it quickly caught flame. When it had mostly burned away, Zevon launched the flask, which shattered, freezing over the fire and dousing it. The blades had ceased to turn.
"And what about you?" Ragdoll asked Irmaplotz. "Care to contribute a little magical touch?"
"They got it pretty much covered," Irmaplotz commented. "Anything else would be kind of overkill."
"Did you forget what team you're part of?" Ragdoll reminded her.
"Right," Irmaplotz realized. "Well, we wouldn't be a real League of Inconvenience without literally gumming up the works."
She brought her hands together, waving her fingers gracefully as she drew her hands apart and cast a field of bright pink energy over the central turbine of the blades. It settled, solidified, and became an absolutely gigantic miasma of –
"Is that chewing gum?" Ragdoll asked.
"You bet it is," Irmaplotz confirmed.
"This windmill has milled its last wind," Zevon chuckled.
"I declare this a job well done," Ragdoll stated.
"Now to get outta dodge," Firefly announced. "I figure to save time, I'll just shove Zevon down the elevator shaft."
"YOU WOULD NOT DARE," Zevon growled.
"It was a joke," Firefly sighed.
After all were ferried to the bottom of the shrine, they scurried out of the cave, taking the path that led them past the house they understood to be that of some sort of village leader. From there, it was literally all downhill; Kusa Village was built on a mountainside, and the homes and shops were arranged accordingly, with stairways and walkways carved from wood to provide accessibility.
"Heheheheh," Xerxes cackled. "Village doomed!"
"Perhaps you should wait to declare such things until we are out of the main square," Ragdoll said as he took a look around his surroundings.
"Yeah, and fewer people are staring at us," Firefly added in a low mumble.
"You know they're only staring because you're so good-looking," Ragdoll told him.
"We're both suited up," Firefly reminded him. "Which means, A, they don't know how good I look, and B, that's exactly what they're staring at. Not that I don't appreciate the compliment."
Ragdoll threaded his arm around Firefly's in a double loop, all but leaning on him. "You know I can't resist."
"Yeah, yeah. But you know if you had that mask off, they'd be all over you."
"Have I ever mentioned how jealous I am of you guys?" Irmaplotz sighed.
"Um…no," Firefly replied.
"But do tell," Ragdoll said slyly. "Is it our looks? Our charm? Our experience in the field of crime?"
"It's that you have each other," Irmaplotz explained. "Same thing with Roman and Mr. Snatcher. Same with Mim, Ayam, and Rémington. And Mozenrath and Hans. And the Overkills. And did I hear right that Yzma and Wuya are a thing now? Seriously, it's like everyone around here has somebody except me."
"Your statement didn't quite take everything into account," Ragdoll pointed out.
"Really?" Irmaplotz asked. "Is this where you tell me how I don't need a romantic partner to be happy and I'm not the only one whose heart is aching?"
"You forgot to mention that Vexen and Ravess have been dancing around each other lately," Ragdoll told her. "I give them three days tops."
This resulted in a very ugly groan from Irmaplotz. "That's it. I give up. I just give completely up. Every single time I try and get a boyfriend who shares my interests, it ends up blowing up in my face. I'm so done with love."
"And how many times has this happened?" Ragdoll asked.
"…Once," Irmaplotz admitted. "But once was enough."
"Well, I say good for you!" Zevon congratulated. "Love is overrated! I've had to move house too many times because of bad breakups!"
"Why did you have to move?" Firefly asked.
"Because the house always burned down," Zevon said, as though that explained everything.
"I'm…going to need context," Firefly urged.
"Whenever I have feelings for someone," Zevon explained, "I collect mementobilia of them and arrangify it in a corner of my bedroom. If the relationship goes sour, I burn the entire thing down. Then my house inevitablatantly catches fire and I have to find a new one."
"You know, there's really a simpler way around that than to stop having relationships," Firefly said in a flabbergasted tone. "Listen. I know I'm probably the last person anybody goes to for relationship advice. But if you really want it deep down, don't just give up on love. Because that is how you end up not noticing the sparks between you and your partner in crime for a full year."
"You got burned?" Irmaplotz asked, rather surprised.
"Frozen," Firefly clarified. "I put an end to having relationships after getting the literal cold shoulder from this one guy. Skip ahead past a year of me not noticing R.D. had it bad for me and not figuring out how close I ACTUALLY got to him, and then this girl hits me like a freight train. And then that…is actually not a story you'll be hearing today. Or ever. But when I figured out how much I really loved, and yeah, I'll say it, I love R.D. – "
"I love you too," Ragdoll said cheekily yet sincerely.
"That's when things started working out for me," Firefly concluded. "So don't make the same mistake I did. Also, don't partner up with a guy you like if he yells at you for picking him up a joke gift. Also also, don't try to upgrade your weapons to nuclear-grade unless it's REALLY necessary or it would be REALLY awesome."
"You know," Irmaplotz mused, "I've been hung up on the same guy for almost a year now. It's kind of embarrassing. Maybe I should just try and forget about him. Stop committing to a new revenge scheme on him once every other week or whenever another villain didn't already have the time slot."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Firefly broke in. "I never said stop the revenge schemes. Revenge schemes are the best coping mechanism. Heck, do revenge schemes on the people you're over. Revenge is fun. I will personally help you get revenge on whoever just because it sounds like a good time."
"Thanks," Irmaplotz replied. "You know, you're like the big brother I never had sometimes."
"Whoa now," Firefly said hurriedly. "We're not THAT close."
"We kind of are. I mean, first the Spitfires – "
"I am not signing up for any sibling bonding with you."
"Actually, first was when I helped you pick out the dictionary to burn – "
"This train stops at the station."
"Xerxes gloat NOW?" Xerxes broke in.
It was then that the League of Inconvenience, formerly known as Problem Squad #1, realized they had stepped outside of the bounds of Kusa Village and far out of earshot of any of the villagers, who by now were certainly realizing their shrine had been desecrated.
"Xerxes may gloat now," Ragdoll proclaimed.
"VILLAGE DOOMED!" Xerxes cried.
...
Cruella de Vil had commandeered the Radiant Garden castle art room. Any and all paintings, sculptures, and other visual media had been quickly and rudely defenestrated. The room was now a fashionista's dream studio, and Cruella had demanded a door be linked to the adjacent room so she could have her bedroom next to the space where her creations dressed up many a mannequin. Riku, Lianna, and Mal walked into a fantasyland of sequins, shoulder pads, and high heels.
"Darlings!" Cruella greeted as soon as the three teens entered. "I'd been wondering when you would show up." She was every bit the picture of a cheerful aunt. "I'm sure you know why you're here, of course."
"Don't tell me," Riku replied. "You think our outfits are a mess."
"I've let this crime go unpunished for far too long, darling," Cruella replied.
That was when Grimhilde made her appearance, stalking forth from the forest of mannequins; she'd held so still, the teens had mistaken her for one. "It doesn't do to have the children of Maleficent look so slovenly," she added. "Those who live in this castle have the potential to be among the fairest. Do not sully that potential by dressing like peasants."
Riku knew the unspoken fine print: it was all right to be among the prettiest so long as Grimhilde was the prettiest – or, as she'd have it, fairest – of all. It was just one of those little quirks you got to know your family for, Riku had resolved, even if it was loathable.
"Grimmie and I have worked up all sorts of ensembles for you," Cruella explained.
"Great," Mal said with a roll of the eyes. "I'm sure none of it will make us look like dorks."
"Don't think I didn't hear your backhanded sarcasm!" Cruella snapped. "I'm a visionary, and you're going to see just how much so! Now, I've put a lot of work into these ensembles, and I'm not about to see them squandered!" The more she yelled, the closer she got to Mal, and flecks of saliva spattered onto Mal's face from the force of the rant.
"Okay, okay!" Mal put up her hands defensively. "We'll try on your stuff!"
"You will WEAR what we have selected for you," Grimhilde corrected.
"Just agree!" Lianna hissed in the space between Mal and Riku's ears where they could just barely hear her. "It will save us a lot of trouble in the long run!"
"All right," Riku relented. "We'll wear what you picked out. It can't be THAT bad."
"Why, you…" Cruella clenched her fists at her sides. She knew Maleficent was fond of the boy – of his potential, anyway – but she had her limits as to how many times she could be insulted. It didn't help that Maleficent's vision of Riku's perfect sister and friend was one who shared his tendency to give lip. At least the other creation of Maleficent's mind was docile and agreeable.
"Cruella," Grimhilde said gently, "why not show them the first piece?"
"Of course, of course." Cruella wheeled out an entire rack of clothing: dresses on half and suits on half.
"Please tell me the suits are for me," Mal laughed.
"What, and leave me with the dresses?" Riku replied.
"I keep telling you!" Mal insisted. "You'd make a killer queen! You have the face for it."
"I might have to test your theory someday," Riku laughed.
"Skirts can be comfortable if impractical," Lianna added.
"Well, that's two to one in favor of the skirts," Riku said with a shrug. "I can't argue with that logic."
"The dresses are tailored to your sister's size," Cruella informed him, "and the suits are to yours. Now, why don't you begin with…" She selected a jet-black suit, one of a modern persuasion in the world Cruella came from, including a collared shirt and a black tie.
Riku already knew it wasn't his aesthetic, but he took it into hand anyway to appease Cruella, disappearing behind one of the changing screens in the back of the room.
"And as for you – " Cruella turned to Mal.
"Hold on," Mal interrupted. "I see an opportunity here. I think it's about time we got Lianna to wear something besides black."
"What?" Lianna was taken aback.
"We're about the same size, right?" Mal reminded her.
"We have very different legs," Lianna asserted.
"They're all skirts, so that won't matter," Mal insisted. "Come on. Try something."
"I suppose…" Cruella lifted a red gown off the rack. "If you're going to dress the maid, it might as well be in style."
Mal was then sent off with a violet dress studded with sequins. The three teens emerged from behind the changing screens only to break out smiling when they saw each other.
"You look like the real Riku just died and you're here to officiate his funeral," Mal told Riku.
"You both look like you wanted to be princesses for Halloween," Riku retorted.
"Well, I think we all look nice," Lianna attempted.
"Yeah, well…" Mal reached for a small hat, settling it on her head. The fact that it was black and didn't match any part of her dress didn't bother her. "I think this needs a little accessorizing."
"I don't know much about fashion," Riku told her, "but I do know that matches my outfit better than it does yours."
"Then YOU wear it." Mal stuffed the hat onto Riku's head with a smile. Then, completely serious, "Actually, that's not bad."
"Well, I think Lianna would look better with…" Riku retrieved a red feather boa, wrapping it around Lianna's neck.
Lianna smiled, admiring it. "You do have good taste," she complimented. "Of course, this leaves Mal without any adornments."
Lianna and Riku reached for the gloves and the shawl at the same time, practically throwing them onto Mal. Then, in a fit of mischief, Riku picked up one more item from the wall display: a pair of violet high heels that looked impossibly uncomfortable.
"Oh, no," Mal said as she shook her head, chuckling all the same. "You are NOT getting me to wear those."
"What, scared?" Riku teased. "Think you'll fall?"
"Of course she'll fall," Lianna said with a nod. "She doesn't have the grace to wear them."
"Oh, I have the GRACE!" Mal swiped the shoes, stuffing her feet into them and immediately wobbling. "…This was a mistake."
She stumbled; Lianna and Riku both giggled. "Okay," Mal said with a sly grin, "if you two think you can do better…"
"You know my feet won't fit those shoes," Lianna reminded her.
"But Riku's will," Mal reiterated.
"Oh, no." Riku shook his head. "There is no way you are getting me to wear heels that high."
Thirty seconds later, he was admiring his own feet in a pair of six-inch-tall monstrosities. "I knew I could wear these better than you," he taunted, walking a slow circle to show off how graceful he was in the heels.
"Seriously," Mal told him, "if we could just get you in a dress – "
"None of the ones on the rack fit me, remember?" he recalled.
"Then choose off the rack," Lianna suggested.
Moments later, bedecked in an onyx-black ball gown, Riku had to admit he looked rather stunning. "Okay, you were right."
Meanwhile, Mal had found her way into a pair of pants. "Cool. So you wear that, I'll wear these – "
"They don't match your blouse," Lianna pointed out.
The trio spent the better part of an hour throwing new outfits and accessories at each other. Cruella could practically feel the veins throbbing in her head as they threw her workspace into disarray. Grimhilde made no move to calm her down; though Grimhilde's own façade was icy, she felt Cruella had every right to be frustrated. At last, Cruella cracked. "THAT DOES IT!" she shrieked. "YOU WILL WEAR WHAT I GIVE YOU AND NOTHING ELSE! THEN YOU WILL PUT EVERYTHING BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT, AND IF EVEN A SINGLE THREAD IS OUT OF PLACE, YOU'LL ALL PAY FOR IT!"
Riku knew where that threat was going: extra chore duty. He did as told, taking on another black ensemble, this one a suit fashioned more in a medieval style with a tunic above tight pants and a long cape that draped over one shoulder. Mal was talked into a purple dress with deep green accents, and in what she considered a gesture of generosity, Cruella outfitted Lianna in a tasteful revere palette from Mal's, purple accents on green silk.
"Absolutely stunning!" Cruella cried as she fawned over the trio. "You look every inch the children of Maleficent!"
Grimhilde gave a nod. "This is much more befitting of your station."
"So does this mean we can go?" Mal asked.
Cruella wanted the three of them out of her workspace as soon as was humanly possible. "I do believe we're done here."
"Then let's go," Riku asserted. "We still have to check in with Hades for training."
"How am I supposed to fight in a full skirt?" Mal asked as the teens departed the room.
"Just focus on magic," Lianna stated. "You won't need to move around much for that."
Once the trio was gone, Cruella slumped down in a chair, breathing heavily as though she'd been through an athletic ordeal. "Grimmie, that was absolutely draining. How are we supposed to put up with children for the years to come if the little brat doesn't get the book?"
"We hope the boy gets the book," Grimhilde said coldly. "I am not fond of the idea of the children remaining either. They are nowhere near as well-behaved as Snow White…and I loathed Snow White."
"We're in absolute Hell," Cruella moaned.
"Perhaps fittingly," Grimhilde suggested, "for the one named de Vil."
"Was that a joke?" Cruella straightened up, amused. "Did I just hear a joke come out of your mouth? You know, I'm beginning to think there's more of that lively side in you than you like to admit. Though, really, whichever demeanor you wear, you're good company, Grimmie."
Grimhilde truly did like hearing that. It somehow seemed to connect to the question that had been bothering her since the charade began. "I have noticed that your fashions have taken on a style similar to that I am familiar with on my own world. Why is that?"
"Simple, really." Cruella rose from her chair, approaching Grimhilde. "You've inspired me. You're an absolute beauty, quite befitting of the whole fairest-of-all title, and the clothing is in no small part a factor."
Somehow, hearing one was the fairest of all was quite different coming from the mouth of a person with free will than it was coming from a magic mirror. Grimhilde actually found herself without words for a moment – but only a moment. "Then you have designed based on what I have shown you."
"That I have," Cruella admitted. "Though I am lacking the most important part of any collection. It simply isn't complete. I'm creating utter inadequacies, Grimmie."
"And what is it that you are missing?" Grimhilde asked.
"Furs," Cruella lamented. "I live for fur, and yet I've had none of it. Can you imagine these ensembles with mink trim, with fox collars, with shawls of the finest dog hair? You don't suppose Hades could be persuaded to part with his absolutely monstrous hound, would you?"
"I believe he would destroy you upon the mere suggestion," Grimhilde stated.
"Of course, of course," Cruella sighed.
"If it is fur you are lacking," Grimhilde said, almost sympathetically, "I can make a point of obtaining it for you. Many of the castle's goblins now answer to me. I will devote a team of them to collecting necessary animals. There is sure to be a plethora in the city."
"Would you?" Cruella replied, rather taken aback. "I've come to know I can count on you, Grimmie, but this is simply wonderful!"
"It is a small price to pay for such pleasant company," Grimhilde said with a smile. "I will make sure you are well-stocked, with no complications."
"Absolutely perfect, Grimmie, darling!" Cruella cried joyously.
And then, absolutely casually, as though she thought nothing of it, she pecked a quick kiss on Grimhilde's lips.
Grimhilde hadn't expected that one bit. Which wasn't to say she hadn't thought about doing the same to Cruella, but she had never found the correct time or the correct decorum to use in such a gesture. She had assumed it would have to be built to with at least some pageantry, and here Cruella was, dealing out kisses without a second thought. "What was that for?"
"Why, because you're wonderful, that's why," Cruella answered, completely cavalier. "Don't tell me you haven't been feeling the same."
"I had thought such a kiss would require different circumstances," Grimhilde admitted. "My former husband put on a veritable display of courtship before – "
"Your former husband was a stiff," Cruella said dismissively.
"He truly was," Grimhilde admitted. "It was one of the many reasons I killed him. Your spontaneity is quite refreshing."
"Yes, but answer me," Cruella told her. "Did you WANT that kiss?"
"I did," Grimhilde told her. "Though you will allow me the next one."
It was now Grimhilde who closed the distance between herself and Cruella, taking the latter's chin into her hand before more deliberately pressing her lips to Cruella's, involving her in a far more passionate affair than Cruella's quick dalliance. To which Cruella merely thought: at last.
...
"So explain to me how this works, again?" Sora asked as he, Amaterasu, and the other Cinnamons ascended the mountainside to Kusa Village.
"Simple," Issun said from where he'd taken roost in Sora's spiky hair for a moment. "Kusa Village is protected by the Divine Wind. The Gale Shrine is like a giant windmill that collects all that wind and blows it down onto Kusa Village. When Ammy and I saved it the first time, a demon put its own evil wind around the Gale Shrine to blow over the village and curse it. I'm guessing this time won't be as bad because the Divine Wind wasn't stopped, just the shrine. But if we don't fix it soon, it COULD turn into a curse."
"So we just have to fix a windmill?" Ruby asked.
"Sure thing!" Issun confirmed. "And while we're there, we can check in with Princess Fuse, who's the head priestess of the shrine! And she is one fiiiiiiiine babe!"
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Kazuichi commented.
At this, Rapunzel, who was bringing up the rear of the group, tapped Jasmine gently on the shoulder. "Hey," she whispered, "can I talk to you for a second?"
Jasmine slowed her pace to walk at the back of the group; the others continued conversation ahead, not noticing the two princesses making their own discussion in the background. All but one, anyway.
"I've been thinking ever since we left the first village," Rapunzel explained. "We have to figure out how to deal with Kazuichi being…um…how do I put this nicely?"
"Sexist and rude," Jasmine filled in.
"Actually, 'sexist and rude' pretty much covers it," Rapunzel said with a nod. "But the whole thing about him and despair and his leg and wanting to kill himself…it just makes me think we should be careful."
"I don't want Kazuichi to fall back to despair either," Jasmine replied, "but there are things that need to be said, and we can't let fear get in the way of that, especially when it comes to choices he makes."
"You're right," Rapunzel said with a nod. "All the same…I think maybe I should be the one who brings it up. I mean, we all know he likes me, so he'll listen to me, and I think I have the best chance of getting through because of that. And…it's kind of personal, too. Because…well…I'm just a little…"
"Uncomfortable with how he feels about you?" Jasmine asked.
"It kind of just hit me what that all implies," Rapunzel admitted.
"I understand," Jasmine told her. "So you want to arrange it so you two can talk alone."
"I was actually hoping you'd come with me," Rapunzel told Jasmine. "Make it the three of us alone. Because out of all of us, you kind of have the best way of breaking things. You're tough, but you're sweet, too. I trust you to back me up. Not that I don't trust everyone else! But I just think I should have backup for this, and I think you're the best choice."
"I'd be glad to," Jasmine agreed.
There was a bark of concurrence from behind them, causing both women to flinch and look back at where Amaterasu was padding along.
"How long were you listening to us?" Rapunzel asked.
Amaterasu gave Rapunzel a look that indicated she'd clearly positioned herself as soon as she saw the two break away from the rest of the group.
"I take it you want to help us," Jasmine realized.
Amaterasu nodded.
"I'm glad," Rapunzel sighed. "I mean, I see how you put up with Issun, who is…not helping the cause."
Amaterasu gave a sort of groan. Issun was a friend whose sexist ramblings she'd learned not to pay any attention to. They had their system, and she knew Jasmine and Rapunzel needed to do more when it came to Kazuichi than just ignore him.
"Do you have a plan?" Jasmine asked.
Amaterasu nodded.
"And I bet this has something to do with the Gale Shrine," Jasmine guessed.
Amaterasu barked affirmatively.
"Then let's do it," Rapunzel said firmly.
Princess Fuse's home was located at the heart of Kusa Village, up many slopes and stairways. The princess herself, a tall and slender raven-haired woman clothed in a bright salmon-colored kimono with a lime-green sash, waited outside her door, having felt an instinct that help was soon to arrive.
Amaterasu had taken the lead of the group once more in order to lead the Cinnamons to Fuse's home. Fuse bowed respectfully once she saw the goddess approach. "Amaterasu," she greeted. "I am glad you came to my aid, and ever thankful. Praise be to you."
Papyrus gave his own bow of respect once he beheld Fuse, and the other Cinnamons followed his example one by one. "WE ARE HERE TO HELP," he announced as he straightened back up.
"You've brought friends," Fuse observed, a little surprised.
"You betcha, babe!" Issun confirmed, hopping up and down excitedly on the bridge of Amaterasu's snouth. "These are some bona fide heroes! Just tell us what the problem is and we'll get in there and solve it lickety-split!"
"You can see the problem from here," Fuse explained, gesturing up the mountain. The Gale Shrine's blades were visible, and it was clear one of them had been destroyed. Beyond that, there was a clear presence of some sort of pink substance that definitely wasn't supposed to be there. "The Divine Wind has had trouble reaching our village because of this," Fuse went on.
"That's weird," Katara realized. "I DON'T feel any wind. It's like the air is just…still."
"The Satomi Canine Warriors were standing guard," Fuse continued, "but it seems someone managed to drug them into sleep in order to commit this crime."
"Someone?" Ruby raised a brow. "I think we all know EXACTLY who did it. The same person behind all the thefts in Sei'an City."
"It's no one you'd know," Sora clarified, "but we've been chasing him and his friends around for a while now."
"Whoever the culprit is is now long gone," Fuse informed the group. "I inspected the shrine myself as soon as it was clear damage had been done. There was not a trace of anyone to be found. There are already repercussions. The village has suffered two demon attacks since the shrine stopped functioning."
"That's terrible!" Katara cried. "We have to protect the village!"
"And we do that by fixing the shrine," Sora resolved. "Which way is it?"
Fuse gestured to a wooden walkway leading away from her home and toward the cavern that housed the shrine's entrance. "I would not normally direct just anyone there," she admitted, "but if Amaterasu trusts you, then so do I."
"We won't let you down!" Sora cried, making to run for the shrine –
And promptly falling over, as Amaterasu held the hem of his pant leg fast in her jaws, preventing him from going further.
"Hey!" Sora cried as Amaterasu dragged him away from the shrine's path, in the direction of the stairway that led back down to the main square. "What's the big idea?"
"Yeah, Ammy, what gives?" Issun asked.
Amaterasu let go of Sora, grabbing Ruby next by the edge of Crescent Rose's case on her back and dragging her to the same position.
"Lemme guess," Stork volunteered. "You're reasonably worried about demons overrunning the town while we're tied up in the shrine, and you want us out here to act as a demon-blocking force while you go fix things."
Amaterasu barked happily, glad Stork had got the point.
"IN THAT CASE, COUNT ME IN!" Papyrus bounded next to Ruby and Sora, the latter of whom had stood back up.
Stork crept toward that group as well, having expected to be needed there based on his conclusion. Katara followed. Kazuichi was next to try and walk toward the demon-fighting force, but Amaterasu clamped her jaws over the end of his sleeve, growling fiercely.
"What'd I do?" Kazuichi asked in a panic.
Amaterasu dragged him in the direction of the Gale Shrine pathway.
"You want ME to help you fix the shrine?" Kazuichi asked in confusion. "What am I supposed to do about it? You're the one with the holy brush!"
Amaterasu's growl was sharper and more insistent.
"Okay, okay," Kazuichi resolved. "I'll go in the shrine."
"Where do you want us?" Rapunzel asked.
Amaterasu gave her and Jasmine a nod, then jerked her head in the direction of the shrine.
"I'm not going to argue with that," Jasmine said as she and Rapunzel stood to either side of Kazuichi.
"Well, that's settled," Sora observed. "We'll keep things under control out here while you fix things up in there!"
"Ammy, are you up to something?" Issun asked. "Because you picked some weird teams."
Amaterasu refused to respond. She could just let Issun wonder. He didn't have to know everything.
As she, Issun, Kazuichi, Jasmine, and Rapunzel made their way down the walkway to the shrine, Sora, Ruby, Papyrus, Katara, and Stork turned their attention to the path down the mountainside. The view from there revealed that several of the lanky masked creatures they'd seen back in Kamiki Village had begun to run amok down below.
"That's our cue!" Sora said as the Keyblade flashed into his hands. "Cinnamons, let's go!"
Inside the cavern, the Satomi Canine Warriors were only just beginning to wake. Rapunzel gasped at the sight of them; "Dogs!"
"They're not pets, you know!" Issun snapped. "These are elite warriors!"
The five warriors sniffed around Rapunzel, Jasmine, and Kazuichi to see if they liked the scent of them. Amaterasu barked to tell them to back off; these three were under her protection. They gave the travelers a berth upon that demand; Kazuichi let out a sigh of relief, as he never had been good at interacting with dogs. That had been more of Gundham's thing, and true to form, he was ever Gundham's opposite.
Inside the shrine, Amaterasu led her companions over the windmill-studded bridge, and Rapunzel shuddered. That particular chamber was spacious and dark, and it gave her an uneasy feeling. She felt, however, that it would be disrespectful to voice that opinion.
The group assembled at last in the elevator shaft chamber. "You're gonna wanna stand back for this," Issun explained.
"Why?" Kazuichi asked, already suspecting he wouldn't like the answer. Still, he, Rapunzel, and Jasmine backed up to the edges of the floor within the chamber.
Amaterasu drew a shape in the air with the Celestial Brush: a circle with a line protruding from it.
"Hey," Kazuichi observed, "that almost looks like a – "
It was exactly what he thought it was. The image popped into three-dimensional reality as a colorful bomb with the fuse lit.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Kazuichi screamed.
The center of the floor had a soft patch that gave way beneath the bomb, effectively swallowing it. As it turned out, Firefly had been wrong. There was an elevator after all. When the bomb went off, it propelled the platform up the shaft at a rocketing speed, bringing it up to the next level.
Amaterasu leapt out of the shaft and into the wide, flat room on the second level; the others followed, Kazuichi walking at a stagger. "My stomach was NOT a fan of that," he grumbled.
"Hey, what are we doing here?" Issun asked. "The windmill's one floor up, furball!"
Amaterasu gave a calm nod. She knew.
"Then why are we here?" Issun reiterated. "There's nothing for us to do!"
Amaterasu gave a meaningful look toward Rapunzel.
"Actually, um…" Rapunzel shuffled one bare foot. "There's kind of…something we need to talk about. And I think Amaterasu picked this spot so we could talk in peace."
"Seriously, what's going on?" Kazuichi asked in confusion.
"Well…" Rapunzel looked to Jasmine for support.
"Go on," Jasmine told her. "Just say it."
It came out in a rush from Rapunzel's mouth: "Kazuichi, sometimes you're a sexist jerk." She then blinked, shaking her head; "I really meant for that to come out better."
"This again?" Kazuichi sighed. "What's the big deal?"
"The big deal is…sometimes you take the whole crush thing to being kinda creepy," Rapunzel admitted. "Stork was the first one who saw it, but I didn't think it was a big deal either. Then I heard the way you talked about Sakuya back in that first village, and it really, REALLY made me uncomfortable."
"Wait," Kazuichi interrupted. "If Stork had a problem, and you knew about it, that means – "
"I know you like me," Rapunzel told him. "And on its own, that isn't a big deal. But you can see how that makes things weird, right?"
"Um…no?"
Rapunzel sighed. "Do you…think about me like you talked about Sakuya? About…my body?"
Now there was a question that was unexpected at point-blank. Kazuichi was not known for having much of a filter, but when asked directly about the contents of his thoughts by the person they concerned, he realized he felt a little shame. "Well, yeah," he admitted, eyes flicking between making contact with Rapunzel's and making contact with the ground. "Sometimes. I mean, I like you, so why wouldn't I?"
"And that's where it gets uncomfortable," Rapunzel told him. "I really like you as a friend, and I'll never forget that you actually risked your life to save me back in Vardaros. But if I know you're thinking about me like you want to…like I'm a…" Her face took on a red tint as she so much as tried to form the words.
"Look, I know you're not gonna end up in my bed," Kazuichi told her. "You've got Eugene and everything."
"But still, I know you're thinking it." Rapunzel's hands traveled to her upper arms, as she suddenly felt small and scrutinized.
Kazuichi certainly hadn't meant to put her in that sort of mood. Perhaps this was worth consideration after all if Rapunzel was brought to dismay by it. "Are you seriously that weirded out?"
"Yes," Rapunzel told him. "I seriously am."
"So you talked Amaterasu into getting us alone so you could talk about this with me."
"Well, a lot of it was Amaterasu's plan," Rapunzel admitted. "She wanted to see things get patched up. And I do think we can patch things up. I just…needed to let you know how I felt."
Kazuichi's gaze turned onto Jasmine then. "So what're you here for?" he asked.
"Rapunzel wanted me to come along," Jasmine answered. "She thought I could help mediate your discussion."
"I dunno," Kazuichi told her. "I think we're having a pretty good discussion just on our own."
"It's…not just that," Rapunzel confessed. "I just thought it would be a good thing to have…someone else around. In case this didn't go well. Because of the whole despair thing, and the things you've been going through, and…just…"
Kazuichi thought, at first, he'd filled in the blanks. "You thought I'd do something to hurt myself again. I told you that was over!"
"I just got worried," Rapunzel said softly, now not looking Kazuichi in the eye at all, her own eyes turned to the floor.
"Wait." Something clicked. Kazuichi said tentatively, "Did you think…I might try to hurt YOU?"
"No!" Rapunzel said hurriedly, shaking her head. "Nonononono! That's not it at all!" Then, after a moment, "I didn't think you'd…try anything. But the part of my mind that does all the worrying did the math about you thinking about me the way you did, and us being alone while I talked to you, and – "
It slammed into Kazuichi like a wrecking ball. "I would NEVER do anything to hurt you," he said earnestly, urgently. "Mi – " No. Now wasn't the time to address her with the title of endearment. "Rapunzel, you're one of the biggest reasons I have not to fall back to despair right now. I couldn't hurt you!" He let out a sigh. "I SHOULDN'T hurt you. Maybe I did go a bit overboard on the things I said. And things I thought."
"Not to mention how many women you've been after at once," Jasmine added.
"I kinda have a confession," Kazuichi said meekly. "There's been part of me that hoped maybe you and I would end up together somehow. But that's not gonna happen. I just have to face it. I got a lot to think about. If we're at the point where you're not comfortable with me, then I fucked up pretty bad."
"I really didn't think you'd try anything," Rapunzel reiterated.
"Well, I still fucked up," Kazuichi admitted.
What Rapunzel said next was a slip of the tongue: her own filter temporarily going out of service. "I don't even know how I can be in Eugene's bed in that way, and I love him. If you're really looking for someone to be with, it should be someone who can at least do that for you. Not someone who worries about ruining the most important relationship in her life because she's scared to."
That put the room in silence, and Rapunzel realized where she'd taken the conversation. "Oh, no," she said quickly, "I was – I can't – that's my own problem. All I meant was I'm not right for – ugh. Can we just forget I said anything?"
"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you," Kazuichi told Rapunzel with a toothy smile. "I've seen how you and Eugene are. He definitely loves you. He's not gonna care if you don't sleep with him!"
"I think Kazuichi's right about that," Jasmine affirmed. "Eugene will wait as long as you need to."
The question still lingered in Rapunzel's mind: what if that time was never at all? But it wasn't what she'd come to talk about, and she didn't want to linger on it.
"But you're right," Kazuichi said, sensing Rapunzel was hesitant to reply. "I should probably find somebody else, then."
"You know," Rapunzel said coyly, "I bet you Sonia would be a lot more impressed with you if you came back to her and showed her you know how to respect women more."
"I don't think you should be encouraging – " Jasmine attempted.
"Yeah!" Kazuichi broke in. "I'll be a new and improved Kazuichi Soda!"
He might not have considered it so much when he was younger, when he had first met Sonia. Dirty talk was just talk, and he didn't think he could blame himself for having fantasies. But the Kazuichi Soda who had been through years' worth of causing people pain, who had brought so many of his loved ones to despair and who had never wanted to do that to another person, was more contemplative of his stance.
Jasmine, in the meantime, was glad Kazuichi was taking the lesson to heart, but she felt his obsession with Sonia was part of the problem. "Are you sure Sonia would be okay with this?" she asked.
"If I figure out how to be less creepy about her, yeah," Kazuichi asserted. "I'd do anything for her. This'll make her like me for sure!"
"But if you're only doing this so she'll like you," Jasmine pointed out, "that doesn't do her much good at all. And it would still put a lot of pressure on her."
"Man, I don't wanna hurt her either," Kazuichi mused. "I got a lot to think about now. Y'know, I didn't think I'd be saying this, but thanks for pointing out how I fucked up. I don't wanna go back to hurting people."
"Hey, it's what friends do," Rapunzel said with a smile.
"Yeah," Kazuichi agreed. "Friends."
It felt as though his desires for Rapunzel had been shut down, leaving behind only a friendly goodwill. He was done putting her into his fantasies. His desire for Sonia, however, still burned strong, and he thought not of extinguishing it, but of putting it to a more constructive path that took the sexism factor into consideration.
Jasmine knew that was going on in his mind, and figured they'd already come a long way. The Sonia problem would simply have to be dealt with another day, if it ended up being a problem at all. For all she knew, it could work out better than she suspected.
"Seriously?" Issun groaned. "You made all this big deal out of talking about some babes? Talk about overreacting!"
"Hey, YOU SHUT UP!" Kazuichi pointed accusingly toward Issun. "No WAY you know more about this than Rapunzel does!"
Rapunzel was rather glad not to have to be "Miss Rapunzel" anymore.
Amaterasu, figuring the conversation had come to a resolution, trotted back to the elevator shaft.
"Thanks, Amaterasu," Rapunzel said after her. "For helping us talk this out."
Amaterasu didn't even look back; she just waited for the others to board the elevator.
Once all had arrived, Amaterasu used another cherry bomb to take them to the upper level. There, they set out the winding outdoor path to the balcony that protruded from between the blades, where they got a good look at the damage done.
"It looks like it's been BURNED," Rapunzel observed. "And what is that pink stuff?"
"That looks like gum," Kazuichi observed. "That can't be gum, can it? I thought these guys were way more sophisticated than using gum to stop a windmill. That's stupid."
"Well, it's definitely blocking the blades from turning," Jasmine observed.
With a smack of the pink Gummi plate, Kazuichi was armored. "I bet I can blast that stuff," he stated. "I fixed a few extra settings on these blasters in case shit got real." He fiddled with a dial on the pack at the back of his armor, turning up the heat on his blasters. "All right! Let's get this thing moving!" He took off into the air, buzzing around the windmill like an overlarge insect and using the energy from his blasters to free up the works.
Once the gum was gone, it was simple for Amaterasu to redraw the burned-away blade, which popped into reality as soon as the ink hung in the air. Now complete, the blades began to turn in the wind.
"That should help things out in the village," Jasmine remarked. "We got a lot done here."
"Yeah," Kazuichi agreed as he de-armored, "we sure did."
Down below, the other five had just finished chasing the last of the demons out of the village. "And don't come back!" Sora snapped at their retreating backs.
Ruby, hearing the sound of approaching feet, was the first to turn to see Amaterasu with Issun, Rapunzel, Jasmine, and Kazuichi rejoining them. "Did you do it?" she asked excitedly.
"I'd say we did a pretty good job," Kazuichi replied.
Ruby took one look up at the repaired mill and slapped him a high-five. "AWESOOOOOME!"
"That's a relief," Katara said.
"Yeah, I wouldn't celebrate yet," Stork broke in. "Anyone notice the obvious sign that Mozenrath is here in this village?"
"UM…NO," Papyrus replied.
"Of course not," Stork said, "because there ISN'T ONE, and we have NO IDEA WHERE HE IS!"
"Maybe it's not him," Kazuichi volunteered. "Whoever it is used actual gum to hold up the mill. I thought this guy was supposed to be some classy sorcerer."
"I wouldn't count him out," Jasmine argued.
"But what was the point of stopping the mill?" Katara wondered out loud.
"To curse Kusa Village!" Sora said vehemently.
"Are we sure?" Katara asked. "Because we fixed it pretty easily. I almost wonder if there's something else going on here."
"Like if we're walking into a giant trap?" Stork suggested. "I buy it."
"Hey, look!" Sora pointed up into the air. "There's a giant bird!"
"Don't change the subject," Stork told him. "The giant bird doesn't matter – "
Amaterasu gave a sharp bark, indicating that the giant bird did in fact play a role in current events. She happened to know that bird – or at least where she came from.
The bird wasn't exactly "giant," but was larger than your average sparrow, which is the type she was. As the bird, who was about waist-high to Sora, landed before the group. "Venerable Amaterasu!" she said with a great bow. "I sought you as soon as I heard of your return! There is a matter of great urgency!"
Amaterasu cocked her head in curiosity. Whatever was coming, it had to be connected to this grand Mozenrath incident. Whether it was simply random destruction or another thread in a spider's web meant to ensnare them all was yet to be seen. But she knew she had to answer the call either way. Kusa Village's well-being had depended on it, and now, it seemed, so did the sparrows of Sasa Sanctuary.
"The boss' daughter Chun," the sparrow messenger said, all aflutter. "She's been kidnapped!"
...
Aladdin, Sadira, Abu, Carpet, Genie, Nick, Chip, Lea, Cid, and Aeleus had been trapped together on one side of the chasms that had formed on their entrance to the city, and it was this group that moved together through the winding streets. Radiant Garden looked the worst any of them had ever seen it. Almost every building seemed to be falling apart from cracking walls, and no one was sure if this was leftover damage from the night of the blackout or new harm caused by Maleficent's living nightmare. More than once the group had found the way blocked by another chasm that led to a pool of paint thinner, and while Genie was able to create various ways across these gaps, they all knew the other two groups weren't so lucky and probably had to re-chart their course several times.
That was all bad enough. Then the creatures arrived.
Catlike creatures with music notes for tails bounded on all fours into the square the team had just entered. Seahorses with long fins that resembled wings soared through the air, shooting both fireballs and bubbles of water.
"You think they're friendly?" Chip asked.
One of the cats plowed into him, knocking him down before striking him with a blast of magic.
"Not friendly!" Aladdin identified.
Aeleus immediately went into defense mode, clubbing as many of the cats away as he could. Lea kept the seahorses at bay with walls of gray flame; his Keyblade was drawn just in case. Small rabbits with long, prehensile ears trickled in; Nick, Chip, and Cid intimidated them away. With an "EN GARDE!", Genie swept a fencing foil across the square, forcing the creatures back.
"What ARE these things?" Sadira asked as she whipped another bouncing cat away with the sand she carried.
"These must be the Dream Eaters Sora and Riku told me about," Lea realized. "And not the friendly kind. These are Nightmares. Ripped right outta your worst dreams."
"What's a Dream Eater?" Chip asked.
"We don't need an explanation right now," Nick told him. "'Ripped right outta your worst dreams' works for me."
"Well, looks like we got rid of 'em," Chip observed.
"AAAAAND STAY OUT!" Genie yelled after the last of the seahorses.
"Don't tell me," Sadira sighed. "We're going to be running into those things all the way from here to the castle."
"Knowing Maleficent," Aladdin confirmed, "we're in for trouble."
To confirm his statement, a gelatinous substance began to bubble up from the cracks in the stone of the street.
"What is THAT?" Sadira cried, backing off.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the viscous liquid, which was amassing into a neutral, featureless shape. "It ain't good," Cid answered Sadira.
"Let's just stop this problem right here before it gets too big to handle." Lea rushed the goo, slicing at it with his Keyblade. The blade passed right through it without harming it, not even leaving a mark. In the meantime, two indents formed on the front of the mass: eyes, marking the beginning of the face.
"Oh, no," Aladdin said in horror. "I know what that is."
The muck confirmed his fear by morphing, taking on the shape of an enormous spider.
"It's the Slumbergath!" Aladdin cried.
"The WHAT?" Sadira yelled.
The spider charged; the team split so as not to be run over. "The Slumbergath!" Aladdin called out across the square. "It's another Nightmare! I fought this one once!"
"How did you beat it?" Nick yelled at him.
The Slumbergath's shape rippled; it reformed into an octopus, its eight tentacles reaching out across the field to strike. Carpet slipped deftly around the appendages; Chip was caught up in one, and only a strike from Aeleus that cut the end of the tentacle off and reduced it to jelly that rejoined its main body saved him.
"I realized it wasn't real!" Aladdin called out.
"Newsflash!" Lea yelled at him, fencing one of the tentacles with his blade. "ALL the Nightmares are real!"
"So we can't BEAT IT?" Sadira cried, shielding herself from another tentacle with a wall of sand.
"No," Aladdin told her, "but we can run!"
Genie expanded in size, materializing a gelatin mold. He slammed it down on the Slumbergath, announcing, "For best results, chill for one to two hours!" He then returned to his default proportions. "That should buy us some time! Now let's beat it!"
He transformed into a convertible car, stretching long enough to have seating for everyone. No one needed to be told to get in. Once they were settled, Genie took off, rubber tires squealing against the stone of the road.
The Slumbergath shattered the metal mold, quivering in the form of a dessert for all of one minute before transforming into the shape of a dragon and giving chase after the little car.
"It's gaining on us!" Aladdin cried. "Genie, we gotta throw it off!"
"Say goodbye to the speed limit!" Genie said as he took a sharp turn down a side street. Every chance he could, he picked a twist or turn in the path. The Slumbergath didn't let up, thundering after the car.
Aeleus twisted around in his seat, holding his club at the ready. "Be prepared," he said ominously.
"Yeah," Lea told him, "because our weapons are gonna do so much good against a pile of shapeshifting goo." He clutched his Keyblade anyway. Over his shoulder, Chip aimed the crossbow.
All of a sudden, the world shook. Just behind Genie's wheels, the ground split, opening up a new chasm. Genie was just out of range, speeding away before he could fall inside. The Slumbergath was not so lucky. By the random chance of Maleficent's world's pitfalls, it was caught up by the expanding rift and plunged down below.
"You think it…you know…died?" Chip asked.
"I dunno," Aladdin replied, "but I don't wanna stick around to find out if it didn't. Genie, don't slow down!"
"Good thing I've got a need for speed!" Genie replied, careening as quickly as he could toward the castle.
The Slumbergath did not emerge. As soon as it had hit the paint thinner at the chasm's bottom, it had become immersed, then melted down into nothing but a film on top of the treacherous liquid.
...
Ryoshima Coast was bare of fishermen and other such sailors. This was a disappointment.
"And here I was hoping we could murder someone and steal their ship," Mim sighed. "Oh, well. Looks like we'll have to do this the boring way."
Wuya created a motorboat at the shore's edge. "This will be faster anyway," she noted. "If I remember correctly, we only have until sundown until the island vanishes for the day."
"Besides, you've already pulled off the most spectacular murder over a boat that you could have done," Snatcher reminded Mim. "There's really no outdoing yourself."
"It's not about outdoing," Mim told him. "It's about fun."
Mozenrath, Wuya, Mim, Aghoul, Snatcher, Yzma, Roman, and the Huntsman clambered into the boat, which took off immediately. Mozenrath held out the compass to show off the direction the needle pointed; Wuya steered it to follow that trajectory.
The ride across the ocean waters was eerily silent. Gazes flicked from one person to another, but eventually came to rest on the Huntsman for a while before flicking away again. The Huntsman could read a room – or, in this case, a boat. He was well aware of the cause of the silence. They wanted to talk as a group of friends, but they hadn't fully accepted him into the fold yet. He was awkwardness personified, blocking all attempts at conversation.
To this, he said firmly, "Do act as if I'm not here."
Easier said than done, though Roman took it upon himself to be the first to break the silence. "It's a cruel, cruel world, all you little boys and girls – "
"FINISH THAT SONG AND I THROW YOU OVERBOARD," Mozenrath seethed.
"All right, all right." Roman reclined back in the boat as far as he could without falling into the waters that were disturbed as the little boat sped on by. He racked his brains for a topic that had nothing to do with how much the Huntsman didn't belong there. Thinking over the numbers his cohorts had performed on karaoke nights, he mused, "We've all been listening to the same music, right? Because I just got done corrupting Archie with all of my most choice playlists and I need to make sure my work is actually done."
"You say 'corrupted,'" Snatcher broke in, "but I say 'enriched.'"
"You would," Roman retorted, "since you only picked up on the classics anyway."
"You, be the one to expose us to music?" Mim scoffed. "I've heard centuries' worth of music across a hundred worlds! I should be the one corrupting you! Of course, almost none of it was actually good."
"Hit me anyway," Roman told her.
"When we get back to base," Mim informed him, "I will. Though I better not hear you singing any of the worse numbers during our parties."
"I better not hear you SING," Wuya told Roman. "Period."
"I am not that bad!" Roman attempted.
"Merely listening to you sent me into cardiac arrest," Aghoul commented.
"YOUR HEART DOESN'T BEAT," Roman reminded him.
"It doesn't, does it?" Aghoul said coyly.
"What kind of corruption are we talking?" Yzma asked. "I want artists and songs."
"Weeeellllll…" Roman began to tick off a long list of musical artists he enjoyed, most of whom were bombastically theatrical with smooth yet danceable tunes. This inspired the others to contribute their favorites one by one; some were recognizable through the shared radios they'd been using to pick up signals from across the worlds, while each of the seven participating in the conversation still harbored some musical treasures the others didn't know about.
The eighth who did not participate, of course, was the Huntsman. He knew he wasn't welcome in this conversation. After all, he had uninvited himself. It wasn't as though the others would have wanted to hear about his musical taste; he had a penchant for crooning ballads that had peaked in the public eye of his homeworld before he was even born. It wasn't the loud style of any of them. So the Huntsman turned to look out over the waters they had already crossed, spotting the shoreline in the distance. He didn't need to be accepted by the others; he always had been a lone wolf.
The fact was that while he didn't need to be, he desperately wanted to be. Yet he was well aware he'd brought this upon himself. So he busied himself with thoughts of Oni Island. He'd slain his fair share of oni – a particular type of demon – back on his homeworld. Perhaps this island would offer him an entertaining challenge. He was prepared to rise to it.
It had been so long since he had fought with the others – or had it been that long at all? Had he simply distanced himself enough that it felt like a longer time than it was? Would they actually be able to function as a unit? Or would –
"Um, Righty?" Roman waved a hand in Mozenrath's face. "Hellooooooo! Anyone home in there?"
The Huntsman looked back into the boat to find that as he'd been staring out at the water, Mozenrath had been watching him. Of course, once Roman and the Huntsman simultaneously found him out, Mozenrath averted his gaze immediately, bristling. "I was listening," the sorcerer insisted.
"Suuuuuure you were," Roman said skeptically, and everyone in the boat knew where Mozenrath's attention had been. What they didn't know was why.
The Huntsman didn't wish to spend any more time on it. He turned back to look out at the upcoming horizon.
That immediately prompted him to contribute to the conversation: "You may all want to look ahead."
All eyes turned to the distant destination. A shape, almost reminiscent of a horned demon head, was rising from the waters.
"Well, what do you know," Mozenrath remarked. "Oni Island."
"Time to raise a little chaos," Wuya announced.
Oni Island wasn't to know what was about to hit it. Or, at least, the Huntsman hoped they could devastate it. If they weren't willing to accept his presence when it mattered most, that could make things difficult.
Then again, they'd functioned perfectly without him when he'd decided to remove himself. He was the only one who had suffered as far as performance. And that stung to know.