The night sky hung peacefully over the large town, a serene atmosphere present despite the purpose of said town. It was a world all its own, a place that only exists to shelter those whose worlds have been lost. Of course, there were other means of getting there, such as by Gummi Ship.
Donald and Goofy walked through the First District of the town, Traverse Town, now wearing more combat-efficient clothes that blended in better. They knew that Leon had to be somewhere in the area…if only King Mickey had given them some sort of description of what he looked like! As they went on, Goofy stopped in his tracks, pointing to the sky. "Donald, look, a star's goin' out!" He exclaimed.
The mage looked up and saw that Goofy was right. One of the stars shone brighter for a second before vanishing entirely. It was a sight that made them feel sick to their stomachs, knowing it meant that a world and its inhabitants were now gone…
"Instead of standing there gawking, we should look for that key." GLaDOS chimed from inside Donald's pocket. Even from in there, she was able to tell what was going on around her. Whatever sensors were installed into her were extremely advanced.
Donald scoffed, but he knew GLaDOS was right. "Oh, be quiet! Come on, Goofy. Leon's gotta be around here somewhere…"
Looking down from the sky, Goofy nodded. The faster they found Leon and the key, the better. Turning around, he saw Pluto sniffing about, tail wagging and heading towards an alley. "Come on, Pluto! Let's go!" The knight called, following as Donald went ahead, not even making sure Pluto was following.
Indeed, Pluto didn't heed Goofy's call, his nose having caught onto an interesting scent. The curious pooch came across a boy slumped against the alley wall, unconscious. Panting and tail wagging harder, Pluto licked at teen's face.
Sora mumbled something indistinct, opening his eyes to see Pluto panting in his face. "Huh…? Oh, a dream…" The teen murmured, closing his eyes again. Suddenly, he felt the dog's paws hit his chest, sending his head into the alley wall. A sharp pain shot through his skull! "Ow! Wait…this isn't a dream!" He exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. Slowly, he stood up, looking around. Just where was he? Nowhere he had ever seen before, that was for sure. He looked down at the dog, leaning down a bit. "Hey, do you know where we are?" Sora couldn't help asking, knowing the canine couldn't answer.
As if on cue, Pluto raised an ear, hearing something Sora couldn't. Without hesitation, he sprinted off somewhere, quickly going out of sight. Well, so much for that! The brunette took a few stops forward, trying to remember what happened. Wait! His island! What happened to his island?!
Sora rushed out of the alley, taking a look around. He saw he was in a cozy sort of town district, lampposts keeping things lit as people milled about. Some of them looked pretty normal, but some looked odd. The brunette saw a fuzzy, small creature with bat wings and an attentat on its head with a red ball on it. Was this…another world? It must have been, last thing the teen remembered, he was being sucked into that orb! But what happened to his own world? What happened to Riku, Kairi, his friends, and his parents…?
Deciding to try and get some answers, Sora approached the fuzzy thing, clearing his throat as he approached. The creature stopped, looking up at the teen. "You look pretty lost, kupo!" It observed, looking Sora over.
Feeling a bit awkward, and a bit surprised the thing could talk, Sora nodded. "Yeah, I…don't know where I am at all. What is this place and, uh, what are you?" He sort of blurted the question out, only realizing then how rude that was.
At the very least, the smaller creature didn't seem offended. "Well, I'm a Moogle, Mog! And you're in Traverse Town, kupo. It's a special place where those whose worlds disappear go. It just keeps expanding to accommodate new arrivals!"
So, it was a new world, but…disappear? "My islands, they're gone?!" Sora asked, face going pale and legs feeling weak. "What happened to my world? Is everyone okay?"
Mog shuffled in place, as if uncomfortable. "No one really knows, kupo…" He admitted, clearly disheartened to admit it. "Not a lot of people make it here when their worlds disappear. If you're lucky, some friends and loved ones could be here, kupo!" Mog went ton, sounding a bit more enthusiastic at the end.
Even with those encouraging words, Sora was still mortified. "Uh…thanks…" He murmured, his legs moving on his own as he walked to a bench and sat down. Mog apparently decided it was best to leave the teen on his own and went off, giving Sora a few looks over his shoulder as he went.
The brunette was just floored by what he found out. His world, his island, maybe everyone he knew was just…gone. Was it those things he fought off that somehow ended his world? He had no idea what they even were…some sort of demons or monsters? Whatever they were, they were surely connected to what happened.
Of course, sitting there wondering wouldn't help out. Sora had to at least try to see if anyone he knew made it here to Traverse Town as well. This whole situation dampened the fact he now knew other worlds existed. Sure, he had wanted to see more worlds, but not like this! He did see Riku and Kairi vanish, so…maybe they ended up here too? No telling about anyone else from the island, though…
Sora decided to force himself to get up and search! Slowly, he got up from the bench, looking around the area. There were numerous people about, but they all looked like they wanted to be left alone, no doubt worried about their own homeworlds. He figured he shouldn't bother them, at least not at the moment. Looking around more, he saw there were stores and even a café, so he assumed anyone working here would be put together enough to answer some questions. He spotted a places with a sign reading 'Accessories' over it and decided to start there.
The inside of the store was welcoming. To the immediate right was a brick fireplace, lit up with a soothing flame. There was a counter with some goods on display behind a glass case, and there was a room off to the side. Aside from Sora, there was only one other person, a man behind the counter. He was blonde with goggles on his head and a lit cigarette in his mouth, wearing a white shirt and blue pants.
Instantly, the man noticed Sora entered turned to the teen as he approached. "Well, hey there, how can I…" He trailed off as the brunette go to the counter. "Ah, it's only a kid…"
Sora frowned a bit at that. "Hey, I'm not a kid!" He retorted, unable to help himself. Just because he had gotten shaken up a bit didn't mean he'd just take an insult lying down! "And my name's Sora!"
The man shook his head, waving his hand a bit. "Alright, alright, simmer down." He said, a bit grouchy. "So, what's goin' on, Sora? Ya look kinda lost."
Was it that obvious? Well, given what this world was for, this guy probably saw lost people all the time. "Well, yeah. A bit. Someone named Mog said this is another world. Is that really true?"
At that, the man's demeanor changed, very lightly, as he seemed less stern. "Yeah, that's right. We're in Traverse Town. It exists to help fugitives from disappeared worlds…so, your own world is gone, then." When Sora nodded, the man let out a small sigh. "Well, the name's Cid. Tell you what, Sora, you ever run into trouble, you come to me, okay? I'll help you out."
Sora actually felt better at that, appreciating the stranger's kindness. "Thanks, Cid. Have you seen anyone else new? I'm looking for Riku and Kairi, my friends." They seemed to disappear like he did, so the brunette assumed that if anyone from the islands came here, it'd be them. And then maybe they'd know what happened to anyone else from their home…
"Well, I admit I'm usually behind the counter, so I don't meet new folks much unless they come in here." Cid replied, scratching the back of his neck. "You're the first new face I've seen all day, sorry." He nodded over to the open door going deeper into the shop. "But maybe Tali in there has seen 'em. She's kinda new too, but she's out and about more."
At first Sora was a bit disappointed, but then at the mention of someone that could maybe help. "Thanks, gramps!" The teen said, turning around and heading to the door as Cid barked at him to not call him that.
As Sora approached the open door, he started to hear some noises. It was rustling and clinging of metal, like someone was looking around for something. Looking inside, the teen saw a small room with shelves full of metal parts and contraptions, none of which seemed familiar to him at all. There were also blocks of some sort of material Sora didn't recognize. Not metal, plastic, or even wood, but it still seemed sturdy. In the room was a sole figure, surely Tali. The teen couldn't get a good look at her, as she wore an outfit that covered every inch of her body, and a hood that covered her head. He only saw her from behind, so couldn't see her face.
When Sora stepped into the room, the woman spoke up. "That you, Cid? I can't find what I'm looking for in here at all!" She exclaimed, messing with something that her body was blocking. Her voice sounded unusual, filtered in some way, and sounded almost like robots from cheesy horror movies Sora sometimes watched.
"Uh, no. My name's Sora. You're Tali, right?" The teen asked, a bit put off by the voice. Was she wearing a mask or something? That could be it…
"Hm? I'm Tali, yes." The woman replied, turning around. It was revealed that she did have a sort of mask, more of a helmet or visor that covered her face. Because of this, Sora couldn't get a good look at what she looked like, just a vague humanoid outline with bright eyes. As he looked closer, he noticed her hands only had three fingers each, and her legs were bowed backwards and she had three toes on her feet! "Does Cid need something?"
Sora was taken aback at Tali's appearance. Before, with Mog, he was so rattled by what happened, he didn't question the small, fuzzy creature. But his head was a bit clearer, so he was startled by the woman's unusual appearance. "No, that's not it." The teen replied, looking Tali over again. "Sorry, I just didn't expect…what exactly are you?" He blurted out, once more realizing how rude it was only after he said it.
If Tali was offended, it was hard to tell. After all, her face was totally hidden. "First time seeing a Quarian too, huh? No one around here seems to know about us." She replied patiently. "I guess you could call me an alien. Though, really, you humans are the aliens to me."
Really, Sora shouldn't have been too shocked. After all, other worlds meant inhabitants that weren't guaranteed to be human! He had thoughts of that before, but actually seeing it for himself was another story. The teen tried not to stare at her hands or legs and instead at her visor. Of course, that was tough too, it was difficult to hone in on where her eyes were. "I've never heard of Quarians. We just have humans where I live…"
"I guess that explains it." Tali said with a light shrug. "But what did you need? I'm a bit busy here." She went on, not unkindly.
Sora leaned to the side a bit, trying to get a good look at what Tali was working on. It just seemed like scrap and spare parts to him. Spare parts of what, exactly, he couldn't place. "What are you working on? Looks pretty complicated…" More than anything he'd know what to do with for sure!
Tali glanced back at it and then back to Sora with a sigh. "I'm trying to get out of here. Cid said he had ship parts, but this isn't anything like I've seen before. I can make a ship out of scrap if I know what that scrap is, but this…" She trailed off, sounding a bit annoyed.
"A ship? Like a spaceship?" No water around here, so Sora assumed someone would have to fly to leave. "So, your homeworld vanished too?"
"Of course I mean a spaceship." Tali replied, moving her head in a way that made it seem like she was rolling her eyes. "Sorry, that was mean. Since you never met an alien, space travel probably isn't possible where you are, huh?" After Sora nodded, she went on. "Well, if I can make even a one-person craft I can leave. And no, my homeworld didn't disappear, but the planet I was on was, Haestrom, did. There were these creatures everywhere…nothing like I had seen before. Then everything went dark, and I woke up here."
Sora nodded in understanding, leaning against the wall. "That happened to me too. These weird shadow monsters were there on my island and then I got sucked into this orb and…now I'm here." Just describing it, even so generally, made him feel sick to his stomach.
The Quarian nodded in understanding. "Well, at least you made it out. I haven't seen a single other of my kind here." Tali said with a sigh. "I can only guess they just vanished along with Haestrom. I guess on the bright side, no one really seems to know what Quarians are here."
"What? Why would you like that?" Sora didn't get that at all. He'd feel pretty out of place if he was the only human around. Not that that was a thought he ever even considered until that specific moment.
"Well…Quarians aren't exactly well liked." The alien woman admitted. "We made some mistakes, lost our homeworld, but we accidentally unleashed a danger in our corner of the Universe." Tali seemed oddly open about the whole thing, as if she was used to everyone knowing. "I'm just surprised there's dextro-based food here in Traverse Town…but I haven't seen anyone else that'd need that sort of thing. It's like the town knows…"
Sora had no idea what 'dextro' meant but just assumed it was an alien thing. And what she said about unleashing danger…she didn't mean those things on his island, right? No…she would've mentioned that if she had, right? "Well, I don't know what the Quarians did, but you're pretty nice, so…" He didn't like the idea of blaming an entire race of people over a mistake…
"Well, you're more open-minded than a lot of people I've met." Tali replied, a smile practically audible in her voice. "Oh, and you…wanted something, right?" She asked, folding her arms casually. "If it's a way out of here, you're out of luck."
Shoot! Sora got so wrapped up in talking to an alien that the reason he went to talk to her totally slipped his mind! "Right! Cid said you went out a lot. Have you seen my friends? Their names are Riku and Kairi…!" The brunette said, describing how the two looked to the Quarian.
Tali hummed in thought for a moment…then shook her head. "Sorry, no. I've been in this shop all day, so if they came around then, I wouldn't have seen."
Sora's hopes sank a bit, realizing it was silly to rely on a single person for information like that. "Well, thanks. If you see them, though, could you tell them I'm here too?"
"Of course! But hey, you should take a look around. Traverse Town is pretty big, but that means a lot of other people that might have seen them." Tali pointed out.
"That's true…yeah! I'll go look for myself!" Sora declared, trying to keep his spirits up. "Thanks, Tali, hope you can figure out…whatever all that is." He said, still unable to make any sense of the pile of metal on the desk.
The Quarian chuckled lightly. "I appreciate that. I'm sure I can do this…just need to figure some things out…" At that, she turned around and started to fiddle with whatever it was on the desk as she murmured something about lack of good parts under her breath.
In higher spirits, Sora returned to the main part of the shop. Cid looked to him with a grunt. "Tali able to help ya out at all?"
"No, but I'm going to just look for them on my own. If they're here, they shouldn't be far, right?" Did everyone in Traverse Town end up in the same area when they arrived? Sora had no idea, but he wanted to hope so.
Cid nodded with a light grin. "Alright, just be careful, okay? Not everyone in this place is a good person, but just keep your wits and you'll be fine." He paused and then added on. "If you run into trouble, just get back here, okay?"
"I appreciate it, Cid, thanks." Sora said, dropping the 'gramps' thing. With a wave, he walked out of the shop and back into the town proper. He felt a bit more hopeful, but he still worried about his friends and everyone else on the islands. Did any of them make it to Traverse Town too? In fact, how did he make it? Was it because he was sucked into that weird orb? Sora would normally just be grateful, but if he had an idea of how he made it out of that in one piece, he could work out if anyone else did as well…
Deciding to ponder that later, the brunette started to walk through the town and start his search. The problem was that a lot of people Sora saw really looked like they didn't want to be bothered. They looked sad, or even angry. Not that the teen could blame them. After all, if they were in Traverse Town, it meant their homeworlds had to be gone, as well as their friends and loved ones.
At the very least, Sora was able to marvel a bit at the types of people he saw. A majority of them were human, but a few were some sort of alien or monster. He saw a few more Moogles, as well as other species. One person was reptilian, scales were the skin would be and snake-like eyes. Another had red skin with four yellow eyes and even four arms!
Sora did pluck up the courage to ask a few people he passed by about Riku and Kairi, but none of them were able to help. Most were polite, and wished him luck, while some told him they couldn't help and to go away. Either way, the teen kept going, sighing as he passed by a man sitting on a bench.
"My, you're a sad hallucination." He man spoke up, looking to Sora.
Stopping in place, the teen turned to the man to get a better look. Even while sitting, the stranger was fairly tall. There wasn't much else Sora could see of him, though. He wore a lab coat that covered most of his body, with black leather gloves covering his hands and arms. Even his face was mostly hidden, the collar of his lab coat turned way up, covering his mouth. What little of his face that remained was covered by a pair of goggles. And on top of his head was black hair, a large amount of it in a standing, wavy pattern.
Looks aside, Sora was bewildered by what the man had said to him. "…Hallucination…?" He echoed back, pretty confused. "What do you mean?"
The heavily dressed man chuckled and shook his head as if Sora had asked a silly question. "Why, none of this is real, of course! I simply hit my head during an experiment and this HORRID TOWN isn't even real!" He replied, literally screaming in the middle of his sentence, which startled Sora a bit.
The brunette didn't know what he was talking about! Thinking of it for a moment, Sora realized the poor guy was in denial. Losing one's homeworld and ending up in a place like this was pretty horrifying. He knew that firsthand, after all. "Look, this is actually real! I'm not a hallucination!"
"That's exactly what I'd expect a hallucination to say!" The man replied, chuckling again. "But it'll take more than that to trick PROFESSOR MEMBRANE!" He shouted, practically screaming his own name at the top of his lungs.
Sora took a step back, a bit nervous the professor would lash out. "Listen, uh, Professor Membrane…have you seen my friends? Uh, my hallucination friends?" May as well play along. The teen went on to describe what Riku and Kairi looked like to the seated man of science.
"Sorry, hallucination, but I haven't seen anyone like that. But I do know a great place for fake tea. It really hits the spot!" Professor Membrane said, sounding pretty chipper with his mindset.
"Uh…no thanks. I'll pass." Sora replied, quickly walking away from the delusional man. He kept going, asking anyone that seemed open to conversation about Riku and Kairi…but no one knew anything. Determined not to give up, he went through a large pair of wooden double doors, a sign reading 'District 2' above them.
Just as the large doors shut behind Sora, Donald and Goofy came out of a nearby building. "Well, he wasn't in there…" The mage grumbled. "And we're not here to shop, Goofy!" He said, scolding his taller friend. "You don't need a shield made of Celestial Bronze, whatever that is."
"Gawrsh, Donald, it just looked really neat. Sounded neat too!" Goofy lightly bemoaned. The shops in Traverse Town had all sorts of metals, materials, and even food from other worlds, though it wasn't really clear how they came to this town…
Sora, meanwhile, entered the second district of Traverse Town and saw it was mostly empty. There were a few shops, though they had their lights off. Off a ways, he could see a hotel that seemed open! Maybe he'd try there!
As the brunette made his way there, though, he passed an alleyway. At that time, a woman's voice called to him. "Hey, kiddo! New to Traverse Town?"
The teen turned to see a tall woman in an expensive looking black dress. She had long, blonde hair, part of it covering a very gorgeous face. Looking about, Sora saw no one else around and pointed to himself. "Uh…me?"
"Yes, you." He woman said with a titter, approaching Sora. "How about I show you all around the area? You seem a bit lost…" Her voice became sultrier, and she even caressed his face gently.
Sora's entire face felt like it was burning as it turned red. His heart was slamming against his ribcage and…even seemed to hurt a bit? Either way, he gulped and took a step back. "N-No, that's okay! I'm fine!" This lady was acting pretty weird…
At that, the woman chuckled again. "Oh, no need to be shy! Please, don't hold back!" She insisted, approaching Sora even as he backed away from her.
"I don't…!" Sora started but was interrupted as something sprang from behind him. It was a creature of sorts, one that was helmeted and wearing some sort of armor! The monster plunged its clawed hand into the woman's chest, a horrified scream erupting from her throat. Despite the wound she had, she oddly didn't bleed at all!
Yet, the woman fell to the ground all the same, and when she did, the creature landed on the ground, a crystalline heart in its hand. Within moments, it faded away into darkness. As this happened, the woman's body faded away as well, a look of terror on her face as she soon disappeared.
Whatever this thing was, it looked like the creatures from Destiny Islands! Sora even noted how it had the same yellow eyes! One other thing he noticed that, on the monster's chest, was a symbol of sorts. It was a black heat, outlined in red, with an X going through the center. The ones on the island didn't have that though…! As he gawked at what just happened, the Soldier turned to him, starting to approach. Terrified, Sora fell on his rear, scooting away. What happened on the island was one thing, but he just saw that monster steal someone's heart! As the Soldier approached, Sora reached out his hand instinctively, and in a flash of light the Keyblade appeared! For a moment, the creature paused…and then it leapt at the teen!
As this happened, a figure sprinted towards the pair. A stout and short one, to be precise. When it reached the Soldier, nearing Sora, the figure pointed a figure at the monster. What happened next was most unusual as a loud 'DOOOOONNNNN!' and it felt like the world was violently flashing. Whatever that was, it caused the Soldier to be flung away, slamming into a nearby wall and vanishing in a dark mist.
Panting, Sora found himself totally unharmed from what happened. He looked to his savior and got a better look at him. It turned out the figure was a man, shorter than Sora himself, and quite wide. He wore a business suit, even wearing a nice hat to go with it, and he held a bag in one hand. His face was…odd, as his skin was quite pale, and his eyes almost drooped a bit. However, his most defining feature was the massive, toothy grin spread on his face, red lips practically reaching his ears!
"Oh my, that was a close one!" The man said, his voice deep and friendly. "You should've ran, or even fought!" He went on, letting out an almost jovial laughter despite what just transpired.
It took Sora a few seconds tot really grasp what just happened. Somehow, this guy saved him! "Uh, thanks. You really helped me out. But…did you see what happened to that woman?" The teen asked, getting onto his feet, still gripping the Keyblade.
"I saw it all, very nasty business. That thing stole her heart!" The man replied, again not seeming all too concerned. "Well, she wasn't exactly a good woman to begin with. You need to be more careful, Sora."
At first, the teen was a bit surprised at the man's attitude, but then he referred to Sora by name! "Hey, how'd you know what my name is?" He asked, stepping back a bit.
The man let out a cheerful laugh. "I'm a salesman, you see! It's part of my job to quickly figure these things out. Here, my card!" He reached into his pocket, handing a business card to Sora.
Still a bit creeped out, he took the card hesitantly and he read it over.
I will fill your empty heart.
-Moguro Fukuzou
"Fill my empty heart? What kind of salesman are you exactly, Mr. Fukuzou?" Sora had never heard of a salesman like that before. This guy was very off-putting, and the fact he hadn't dropped his smile for a single moment just made it worse!
"Moguro is fine." The smiling salesman replied, doffing his hat for a brief moment. "I'm a happiness salesman, I help people for free! I'm a sort of charity worker, you could say."
Not wanting to be rude to Moguro's face, Sora pocketed his business card. "Well, I'm not really interested in your services, either way. I do appreciate the help, though. Say, have you-"
Before Sora could ask about Riku or Kairi, Moguro raised his hand and stopped him. "It's pretty dangerous here. Come on, I know a safe place to talk. It's a bar nearby!" He noted the teen's worried expression. "Don't worry, they have milk you can drink!" Moguro insisted, laughing lightly.
"Well…I guess it wouldn't hurt…" Sora said, thinking maybe there could be bar patrons he could ask regarding his friends. The next few minutes were somewhat of a blur as the brunette followed Moguro. Either way, before long, he found himself in front of a dingy sort of building, a flickering sign reading 'Demon's Nest' above the door.
"Come in, come in!" Moguro insisted, entering the establishment, Sora finally dismissing his Keyblade as he entered. Though the teen wasn't even sure how he did it.
To Sora's surprise, the interior of the bar was a lot better than the outside. It was dimly lit, but cozy. Unfortunately, the only person in the building was the bartender, a brunette man with a mustache and beard. He wore glasses and had some oddly sad eyes. The bartender didn't say anything as Moguro and Sora sat on their bar stools.
"So, why did you want me to come here?" The teen asked, feeling bit uncomfortable in a place like this. Still, it was just for a chat, so it should be okay, right? Moguro saved his life, so Sora couldn't help but put his trust in the unusual looking man.
"To chat, of course." The salesman replied as the bartender poured a brown drink for him, and some milk for Sora. Oddly, neither of the two made any sort of order first.
The teen was a bit frustrated. He didn't have time to sit and chat! Standing up, he looked to Moguro. "Thanks for saving me, but I can't stay here!"
"Of course you can! Tell me, where are you going?" The smiling man asked, staring ahead at his drink that he softly turned in his hand. "Do you have the faintest idea of where in Traverse Town you wish to go?"
"Uh…no, not really." Sora admitted, shaking his head. "But that doesn't matter! I have to keep moving! I have to-"
"Find your friends! Yes, yes." Moguro said with a nod. "But Traverse Town is much bigger than you think, and with every world lost, it grows even larger. It's like an organism, changing and growing with each new person that enters its borders."
Sora was pretty shocked, considering he never actually had a chance to ask Moguro about Riku and Kairi. "Hey, how did you know about that? I never…" He trailed off, getting a strange feeling about Moguro…
"It's like I said. I'm a salesman. I can figure these things out. A young man who seemed to just arrive here in Traverse Town? If I were in your position, I'd be looking for anyone I knew as well." The man responded, chuckling to himself. All the while, the bartender just cleaned at a glass silently, not seeming to even be listening to the conversation at hand. "But if you just charge headfirst into a strange new place, you could get in trouble. After all, I did have to save you." Moguro pointed out, turning in his chair to look at Sora. "So, sit down, calm down, and clear your head! Or else a bad fate could befall you out there!"
He…did have a point. Sora was looking for two people in a town he didn't even know the size of. Though, assuming Moguro was right, it kept expanding more and more. And, thinking of it, it was confusing and concerning that more of those creatures were around too. Just how many worlds were they in? Nodding slowly, he took a seat again. "You're right. I should clear my head first."
Moguro nodded as well, that smile still never clearing his face, yet he seemed more pleased than before somehow. "Good, good." He lightly praised, taking a sip of his beverage. "One thing you may have to consider is that your friends aren't here." Moguro said, his tone grave.
Sora really didn't want to think that way. After all, he made it here, so why not Riku and Kairi? "Then what will I do? I can't just wait here and do nothing!" The teen replied, taking a sip of his milk. It tasted pretty good!
"Well, have you made any friends here? Besides me, of course." The salesman asked, giving another small chuckle. "There's nothing wrong with relying on others, making connections with our hearts."
"Well, there's Cid and Tali, but that's about it." The brunette replied, rubbing the back of his neck. The store owner did say to come back if he ran into trouble…
Taking another sip of his drink, Moguro nodded. "Good! It's like I said, connecting with others is a good thing! And you'll need that on the road ahead, I feel like. In fact, I'm quite interested in your heart, Sora."
"My heart? Why?" The teen asked, giving Moguro a confused look.
"As a salesman, I can feel these sorts of things, the way one's heart is." Moguro replied, apparently able to do quite a lot due to his career. "And your heart is heavy and sad, Sora." He went on, turning in his seat so he was facing the teen fully. "Isn't this true?"
Sora's eyes widened and he turned to face Moguro properly as well. It was at this point he almost started to fear the man before him. How could he possibly know something like that? Was it just a guess? "…I have no idea what you mean." The teen lied.
In an instant, Moguro's finger was pointing right at Sora's face. "Don't try to hide the truth!" He declared, his tone more serious, yet that grin of his still present. "You don't feel fulfilled, even before your world was wiped away. A sad darkness has a grip on your heart, isn't that right?"
The fear that Sora felt intensified with that, and it was simply because Moguro was entirely correct. It wasn't just that the teen felt tired and heavy at times, but he felt entirely depressed almost all the time. He was able to hide it pretty well with smiles and fake energy, but in truth he was exhausted at basically any given moment. A lot of the times, he felt numb, and when he felt something, it generally wasn't positive. He tried to just fake that things were okay, but at times he wondered if Riku, Kairi, or even his parents knew he was pretending. The scary thing was, he had zero idea why he was like this. When he was really young, he just suddenly started feeling very sad…
Sora let out a sigh and slowly nodded. Obviously lying to Moguro was a waste of time. "You're right. Your card said you can fill empty hearts though, right?" He wasn't sure he'd call his heart empty exactly, but…
"That's correct." Moguro replied, putting his hand down and seeming more content due to Sora's honesty. "It's sad to see someone so young with a heat so dark. And yours is a heart that's very special. One that has numerous connections! As for me helping you…well…normally I'd take you on as a client, but I cannot help you."
The brunette frowned at that, having actually felt optimistic for a moment. "Why not? Isn't that your job?" Why give him that card if he couldn't do what it said…?
"I'm normally very good at my job." Moguro lightly boasted. "But tell me, what would make you happy? What would fill your heart right now?" He asked, taking up his drink and draining the rest of it.
That was easy! "Finding Riku and Kairi and getting to go home." Sora replied instantly. He didn't even need to think about it!
"Exactly. I simply have no way to help you. I greatly think looking around here is fruitless, however." Moguro replied and gestured to the door. "Simply wandering around will get you nowhere. But you do have friends you've made here, and that very fancy looking weapon." The salesman said with a chuckle. "I'm afraid you must help your own heart. But hey, I'm rooting for you!" He laughed again, making it unclear if he was being totally sincere…
There was the Keyblade, yeah, and it could destroy those monsters that attacked his island. Could that help somehow? Well, Sora had no idea, but he guessed that Moguro was right in that he had to help himself and wandering around aimlessly wouldn't do much. Maybe it really was time for him to get back to Cid and Tali. Despite how unsettling Moguro could be, Sora at least appreciated some of what he said.
Downing the rest of his milk, Sora stood up. "Right, I guess I'll have to. Thanks for everything, Moguro. Um…but you know the shop owned by a guy named Cid? How do I get back there again?"
Getting off of his seat as well, Moguro picked up his bag and gestured Sora to follow as he went to the exit. Oddly, he didn't pay for their drinks at all, and the bartender didn't seem to care at all. "Come, come, I'll help."
Sora followed Moguro out of the bar and into the alley. After that, the man pointed down the direction he had to go and gave off a series of directions. They weren't too hard, so Sora was able to memorize them. At the very least, he'd be able to get somewhere familiar. "Thanks, Moguro, I hope you stay safe."
"Oh, I will, I will. And not a problem! Just get back to your friends." The salesman said, doffing his hat a bit before turning around and walking in the other direction of the open alleyway. "Quite the heart that boy has…big enough to be two hearts, or even three. That really gets the blood pumping!" He murmured to himself, Sora unable to hear his words. What the teen did hear was the roar of laughter the squat man gave off as he got farther and farther away.
A very, very odd man. Still, Sora was overall grateful to him…even if Moguro had managed to read him like a book. That was pretty unsettling! Quickly, he went the way he was pointed to, following the salesman's directions. As he went, he thought to himself about what the man said and the situation as a whole.
Moguro was right…wandering around aimlessly wouldn't help him at all, but he didn't know what else to really do. He could only hope Cid and Tali had a better plan…maybe all three of them could work something out together! One thing, though, was that Sora was worried about if Riku and Kairi were even in Traverse Town at all! He hated to admit it, but there was no guarantee they were there…
If he found out they weren't, he had no idea what he'd do. They both vanished before the islands did, so they had to be somewhere, right? He just had to work out where those places were! Maybe they ended up in the same place? Sora sure hoped so, he'd rather the two have each other to rely on than be totally alone…
As Sora thought to himself, he neared where Cid's shop was. And when he did…he realized something. The area was totally empty! There were people all over before…so where are they now? Just as that thought crossed his mind, three Shadows emerged from the ground in front of him! More of those creatures!
The trio of monsters wasted no time in lunging at Sora, who wasn't so terrified this time! In a manner he wasn't even sure of, he summoned his Keyblade again, slashing it through the attacking creatures and reducing them to a dark mist. After that, he broke into a run, making his way towards Cid's place. He really hoped the shop owner and Tali were okay!
More of the creatures appeared, chasing Sora, but he just kept going rather than staying to fight! Within a few minutes, he reached the shop, but just as he was going to enter, a man's voice called to him. "They'll come to you out of nowhere."
Sora whipped around, seeing a man standing just a few meters away. He was in his mid-twenties with brown hair and blue eyes. A scar ran diagonally across a part of his face, and he wore a white shirt with a black jacket, along with black pants. A necklace was around his neck, a marking of a cross with a lion's head on it, and he had numerous belts on his pants, and even three on his arm!
"Who are you?" The teen asked, taking a step back. "What do you know about those things?" The man sure sounded like he had some information…
Ignoring Sora's question, the man went on. "They won't stop coming for you, not when you have the Keyblade. But why…? Why did it choose a kid like you?" He murmured that last part, mainly to himself.
Eyes widening, Sora took a step forward again, wondering if this man was a friend? "You know what this is? And you said it…chose me?"
"Never mind. Let's see that Keyblade…" The stranger replied, approaching Sora with an outstretched hand.
In an instant, Sora went from trusting to paranoid. This guy wanted his weapon? The teen had no idea what the Keyblade was or how he got it…but he knew it was the only thing that kept him safe from those monsters. Not really wanting to, Sora got into an attacking stance, glaring at the man. "Stay back! You're not taking this!"
The man stopped and out of nowhere he materialized a weapon in his hand. It looked like a strange combination between a gun and a blade of sorts. He tapped it against his shoulder a few times, his face entirely calm. "Alright, have it your way, then…" Brandishing his weapon properly, the stranger somehow summon small wisps of fire around him, which formed a ball of flame and shot out right at Sora!
Panicking, the teen dodged to the side, running at the man with his Keyblade at the ready. He could just run to the shop, but he didn't want this dangerous guy near Cid or Tali! With a cry, Sora swung his weapon at the man, who blocked it with his odd blade. In an almost frustrating detail, the man only wielded his weapon with a single hand, the other in his pocket. He wasn't taking this seriously at all!
Getting mad at the man's attitude, Sora pushed back against the block. Either the man didn't expect it, or he underestimated the teen's strength. Either way, he stumbled back a bit, and Sora followed this by swinging around, slamming the Keyblade into the man's ribs.
Grunting, the stranger staggered back, seeming a bit surprised. He still used one hand to fight, though, block Sora's next attack and parrying it away. At this, the man swung his odd blade down vertically, the teen barely dodging as a few strands of his hair got cut!
Swiftly, the main followed this up with a horizontal swing, an attack that Sora barely managed to block. His legs nearly buckled, but he was able to keep standing, even to his own surprise. Somehow…he felt stronger than he had just a day or two ago! Was it the Keyblade? Did it give some sort of strength to him…? With a cry of effort, Sora parried the man's attack and jabbed the Keyblade at his stomach. Grunting out, the stranger stepped back, but Sora slammed his weapon into the man's arm that was still at his side, his hand in his pocket.
The two went about a sort of dance at this point. They'd go back and forth along the empty part of Traverse Town, the clashing of metal ringing through the open air. One thing Sora started to theorize was that his opponent was holding back for some reason. There were times that the teen was wide open from an attack or a parry, but instead of using his blade, the man would kick at him instead.
Whether this was true or not, it let Sora get through the fight with minimal injuries. Some bruises here and there, but that was it. He managed to get some hits in on his opponent as well, who started to show signs of fatigue as the fight went on, but he never seemed to try as had as he could. With a loud cry, Sora slammed the blunt end of the Keyblade at the side of the man's head, making him stagger a few steps away.
The teen stood there panting as the stranger, gripped at his head, grunting, and wincing a bit. Sora grinned a bit, his legs starting to feel weak. "Alright, now you tell me…you tell me what…" He started to say, but he couldn't spit the words out.
Sora hadn't entirely realized it before this point, but he was exhausted! On the night his islands vanished, he hadn't eaten much since lunch. Then he woke up in Traverse Town, with an unknown amount of time passing. After that he walked around a large area, go ambushed, and only had a glass of milk to drink since arriving. With all that, on top of the great deal of stress all of this caused him, the teen was greatly sapped of his energy.
And, because of this, before Sora could properly finish his thought, he collapsed onto his back. His world went black before he even hit the ground, and yet his hand still clutched onto the Keyblade.
Panting a bit, the stranger shook off his injuries, wincing a bit. He hadn't taken any serious harm, but Sora had managed to get half a dozen good hits in. As it turned out, the teen was stronger than he looked, and unknown to the stranger, stronger than he had been since before he got the Keyblade…
"Looks like you're slipping up, Leon!" A woman's voice called from behind the man, a teasing tone very much present.
The man, Leon, turned around to see a young woman of about sixteen with short black hair and violet eyes. She wore a metal headband, a yellow scarf, and a green top with shorts. Leon lowered his weapon and looked back to the fainted Sora. "I went easy on him." He claimed, having even done the entire fight with one hand entirely unused. "Looks like things are worse than we thought…a lot worse…" He mused, frowning ever-so-lightly as his gaze honed in on the Keyblade.
Meanwhile, in a distant world far, far from Traverse Town, Riku lied on the ground.
The teenager stirred, his eyes opening slowly as he gained consciousness. He saw a cold stone ground, and water around him…but it seemed to be flowing upward? Slowly, he managed to push himself off the ground, getting to his feet. Yet the second he managed to stand up straight, he staggered a bit as his head spun. He didn't really remember what had happened before he arrived, how he got there exactly, but he was exhausted!
"Where…am I…?" Riku murmured to himself, looking around more. It seemed his eyes hadn't been lying to him, and he surrounded by walls of water that seemed to flow upwards to somewhere else. There were chunks of rock that hovered in midair, and he was even standing on one of them. Was he in another world? He had to be, right? This certainly wasn't Destiny Islands! It was dark out, the sun had set, so he couldn't see too much of the area around him. "Sora! Kairi!" Riku yelled out, looking for his friends…but he saw he was alone. Feeling dejected and lost, he looked to the ground, thinking over what to do next…
As this happened, a figure stepped onto a nearby platform, half hidden by an arch. He was an adult man, with piercing golden eyes to match his golden hair. Three moles were on his left ear, and he had teeth a bit sharper than what most people had. And he was grinning with those teeth as he gazed down upon Riku.
Dio Brando had found someone he could use…
At last, Destiny Islands is left behind. I do love Traverse Town, because it gives me the perfect excuse to include basically as many appearances from characters from any bits of media as I feel like. Only a couple this time but the world will be returned to several times, so there'll be room for more. I decided to give Cid his cigarette back, as I am free from finicky video game ratings. And this will probably be the last miniature fight in the story, at least for a while. Not much going on with the Leon fight, since he just shoots fireballs and swings a bit. He's clearly going easy on Sora, after all, so not much else to do.
Oh, and in the case of Moguro...he was very blatantly aware of everything going on with Sora's heart, and that includes that his heart isn't exactly alone. He's pretty much an agent of chaos (usually) in his home series, so I couldn't just have him spilling the beans to Sora, now could I? In any case, the next chapter should wrap up the rest of Traverse Town's first visit, which I'm excited for.
Also, I'm starting a new job the morning after I post this chapter, so chapters will probably take longer than usual to come out pretty much permanently. I'll try to get them out fast, but I can't promise anything.