Even after everything that'd happened recently, Ruby still couldn't believe her current situation. Here she was, just sitting alone in the cockpit of an actual spaceship—er, 'gummi' ship—gazing at an eternally starry night sky, and in new sleepwear no less. There was no way she'd ever imagine that sentence applying to her, even just two days ago. So much had happened so quickly.
While everyone else was asleep in the bunks down in the gummi ship's living quarters, the silver-eyed girl had so much going through her mind that she decided to just take a moment to clear her head by stargazing. But it wasn't helping much. Deciding to shift her focus, the young huntress looked down at the glowing orb of materia in her lap.
If she looked close enough, Ruby could see a white rod of flames swinging around inside. It would then collapse on itself before reforming as an electric rod and swinging around again. Even just by focusing on it, Ruby could feel its power flowing into her. But it almost felt incomplete. She hoped Donald could help her figure it out later.
She was going to learn magic from a duck. Yep. Still sounded weird.
Ruby sighed and held a hand to her face, feeling her plain red sleeping mask on her forehead in the process. The new PJs weren't too different from what she'd typically wear back home. The top was a light-gray tank with black straps and edges along the bottom, along with a scruffy, gray dog's face printed on her chest. Her black pants were patterned with stylized, red heart outlines. Not a bad choice, given how brief her search had been. It was a good thing that Aerith had been able to pull some strings with the clothing store's owner so they could do some after-hours shopping.
"Guess you had trouble sleeping too, huh?" came a familiar voice from behind.
"Huh?" Ruby jolted and looked behind her chair to see Sora's head poking out from the ladderhole that led to the ship's living area.
"Sorry," he apologized, smiling nervously and holding up a placating hand. "Didn't mean to scare you." He climbed the rest of the way up, clad in a white t-shirt with red shorts. Ruby noticed a certain cricket clad in old-fashioned pajamas standing on the boy's right shoulder.
"We just wanted to check on you," assured Jiminy Cricket, politely lifting his nightcap. The girl could see his tiny journal tucked underneath his right arm.
Ruby sighed and shook her head. "It's fine, Sora, Jiminy. I guess we're in the same boat—er, ship."
"Yeah," chuckled the younger boy, moving to sit in the seat across from her. "Not sure if it's because of that sleeping spell from earlier or just having a lot on my mind."
"Huh. I actually forgot about that." Ruby shook her head. "It's definitely the second one for me."
"Well, in my case, I got a little too caught up with writing tonight's events in my journal," said Jiminy. "Till Sora here asked if I'd seen ya leave bed. But I'll betcha I can guess what's on both of your minds."
"Oh yeah?" asked Ruby, tilting her head in the talking cricket's direction. "How?"
"Because… I've been in both of your shoes, so to speak," answered the cricket in a more somber tone as he looked down, fully removing his nightcap and holding it in both hands. Ruby and Sora glanced at each other, widening their eyes as they processed that statement.
"You don't mean…" Sora hesitated to ask, but Jiminy nodded anyway.
"Mm-hm," he answered, sighing wistfully. "My world's gone too. I know how overwhelming it can be to suddenly wake up somewhere so different. Why, my world didn't even have working electricity. Then to see cars, lasers, and even this ship? It was all such a blur when I got to Disney Castle." He then sighed and shook his head. "But even that's not the worst part. The main reason that I agreed to join this quest is the same as yours."
Ruby felt her spirit drain at that. She sometimes couldn't help but think back to all the places she'd never get to see again. The Beacon classrooms, the shops in Vale, and even her home in Patch. Honestly, all this stuff with other worlds had been a not-unwelcome distraction. But it wasn't really enough to make the pain go away. Any time she had a moment to think back, she could feel a lump in her throat and her eyes tearing up. Suddenly, she felt a pair of tiny feet land on her lap.
"I'm—uh, not doing a good job of cheering you up, am I?" apologized Jiminy, scratching his head sheepishly. "What I'm really trying to get at is that you're not alone. Neither of you." He turned back to Sora.
"Yeah," agreed the boy. "I'm glad to have you." He reached forward with his hand. That familiar flash returned as the Keyblade appeared in his grip. He stared at the weapon intently as he continued, "I don't know why this thing chose me. But because of it, I met you guys. Now, I feel like I can really find Riku and Kairi." He then dismissed the Key and smiled back at them. "Same goes for your friends. You mentioned a sister, right?"
"Yeah," answered the girl with a nod. "My older sister, Yang." She sighed as she thought back. "She's an amazing fighter. Heck, so is the rest of Team RWBY."
"Team Ruby?" chuckled Sora. "Did you come up with that name?"
"Nope," she replied, popping the 'P.' "It's a tradition at the Huntsman academies for students to be in four-person teams with names that are acronyms of our initials." She held up a closed fist before lifting one finger for each name, "Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang. Team RWBY, get it?"
Sora squinted, raising a finger. "Uh…"
"Yeah, I know. Just go with it," she interjected, shaking her head.
The boy laughed and scratched his head sheepishly.
"Four-person teams, huh?" questioned Jiminy, chuckling as he scratched his chin. "Well, isn't that an interesting coincidence?"
"I know," said Ruby, leaning back in her chair. "I'll try coming up with a name for us later." After mentioning her old teammates, she wasn't really in the mood for brainstorming. Seeming to catch this, Sora and Jiminy looked at each other knowingly. The little chronicler hummed to himself before snapping his fingers and hopping across the cockpit. He made his way to the top of the pilot seat's backrest, where he pulled his journal and a pencil out.
"You know?" said the cricket as he pulled his journal out and opened it. "Since having a lot on your minds is what's keeping you up, how's about we get some things off both of your chests? You can take turns telling me about who we're looking for, and I'll write some profiles so we all know who to look for."
"Hm, sure," replied Sora.
"If you think it'll help," answered Ruby with a shrug.
"Alrighty then," said Jiminy as he turned to Ruby. "Ladies first, then."
The next half-hour or so was spent with both Ruby and Sora taking turns to describe their own missing friends. The Keyblade wielder managed to describe his two closest friends, Riku and Kairi, while Ruby managed to tell them all about the rest of Team RWBY. She made sure not to mention the part about Blake being a Faunus. Not that the red reaper didn't think her new friends would accept her (after all, three of them were talking animals). She just felt that Blake should be the one to tell them her own secret.
But by that time, Ruby noticed that Sora was having trouble keeping his eyes open, and Jiminy had yawned a couple of times. So the three of them decided to call it a night and continue the discussion later.
After they'd made it down the ladder, Ruby brought Jiminy to his tiny bed on a shelf by the dining table. Donald and Goofy were both sound asleep in their bunks on one side of the room. On the other side, Sora climbed to the top bunk that he'd won in a game of rock-paper-scissors.
"Goodnight, Ruby," yawned the younger boy.
"Goodnight, Sora," Ruby whispered back. Before heading to her own bed, she headed for the wall locker containing her things. As she opened it, the silver-eyed girl patted her precious Crescent Rose good night and placed the glowing blue materia beside it. She was about to close the compartment when she noticed the large pouch on her belt. The one that contained her family keepsake. Remembering something she'd been told about it long ago, Ruby took a moment to open the pouch and pull out an object that was possibly just as precious to her as Crescent Rose and her hood.
It was a charm that she'd been given on her third birthday. Even after the attack on Beacon and the craziness in Traverse Town, it was still in remarkably good condition. It was as if she'd managed to at least save this part of her home. The charm was made of five chrome-red pieces of metal tightly linked by tiny silver cords into the shape of a star. Her emblem, a burning rose, lay at its center. Back when it was given to her, Ruby's mother told her that it had a special power. So long as she and others she loved kept their own, she'd always find her way back to them. No matter what.
Ruby held the wayfinder close to her chest, praying that what Summer Rose had told her was true. 'Whatever it takes. I promise I'll find you. All of you.' When she was done with it, she placed the wayfinder back in its pouch, silently hoping that the others were doing okay.
Yang clenched her knuckles as she stood alone in the woods. She'd searched the manor, the town, the underground tunnels, and even the train station. But all the faces she'd found belonged to strangers. People who'd never heard of Beacon, the Faunus, or Dust. None of them claimed to see anyone she'd describe either. Her birth mother's warning had come true.
That warning. If only she'd said something to the others sooner, instead of assuming it wasn't real. Maybe then she could've done something—anything—to stop this from happening. But she hadn't. Nothing was going right for her lately.
That incident during her singles match, Penny's death, the attack on Beacon, Blake getting stabbed, the Shadows, that dark sphere sucking in everything she'd ever known, and then losing her friends—her sister—when she'd been holding onto them as tight as she could? Nothing good has happened to her since that stupid match!
"I'm sick of this," she muttered as her eyes started watering. Her lavender eyes switched to red as she reflexively activated her Ember Cilica. "I'M SICK OF ALL OF THIS!"
With an anguished, furious cry, she punched the nearest large tree that she could find with all of her might. The tree CRACKED as a single hit shattered a chunk of it into splinters. But the rest of the tree still stood tall, its trunk having been almost as thick as she was tall. She punched again and again, not even caring about the fact that her shotgun gauntlets were clicking empty with each hit. Even after the tree fell over, tears stung in her eyes as she just kept punching, releasing all the rage, frustration, and despair that she'd been holding back while in front of the locals of this place.
She imagined that the tree was Adam. That it was the Shadows, the Grimm, or even Mercury's entire freaking team! Yeah. Yang wasn't stupid! She knew that they were supposed to be in Mistral. But then she saw their leader trying to kill her baby sister! Those scumbags really had set her up to fall!
Finally, screaming with all her might, Yang threw both of her fists down on the fallen tree, shattering more of it into splinters. With nothing left to get out of her system, the blonde brawler's red eyes faded back to lavender. But the tears wouldn't stop coming, and her legs finally gave out. She fell to her knees, crying.
She wanted them back. To be able to hold Ruby in her arms and never let her go again. Heck, she'd do that to her whole team if she could. But they weren't there. She didn't know if any of them had escaped that storm or not. Worse. She had no idea how to find them.
As she sat on her knees, her trembling hands pulled out her wayfinder. Its five pieces were the same metallic yellow as her (now lost) bike, Bumblebee. A brown cord tightly held them together, while an orange version of her emblem lay at its center. She could still remember Ruby's third birthday when the two of them had been given these charms. Summer Rose, Yang's real mom as far as she was concerned, had told them that the wayfinders would ensure they'd always find each other again, no matter what. Clutching the star-shaped charm close to her heart, Yang closed her now puffy eyes, hoping desperately that what her mom had told her was true.
"I don't know how," she croaked, her voice sounding a little hoarse from all the screaming. "But wherever you are, Ruby, or anyone else, I'll find you. Whatever it takes. I promise."
Something wooden snapped from her right.
Yang's eyes flashed red again as she whirled toward the sound with a fist raised. But the newcomer immediately raised her hands in a placating manner.
"Sorry," apologized the very fit, dark-haired woman. "I was nearby when I heard the commotion." Her red eyes looked at the blonde in concern. She was wearing a white tank top with a black hem. Two suspenders looped around her shoulders and linked to her leather miniskirt. Black compression sleeves and red, fingerless gloves adorned her arms, while her legs were clad in matching leggings and boots.
"Oh no," softly said the woman after seeing the blonde brawler's eyes. She stepped closer, kneeling so that their eyes were level. "What happened?" Yang hesitated to respond. After how she'd reacted to the idea back on Remnant, she wasn't so sure it was a good idea to share the fact that she was from another world.
"I… um," Yang took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her face as her eyes went back to lavender again. "I've just had a really rough day. But I'll be fine. Thanks anyway."
The woman studied her expression before sighing. "I don't mean to pry. But I know loss when I see it."
"It's not—" Yang caught herself, looking for a discreet way to put it. "My friends and I got separated while traveling. I haven't had any luck since then, and things were already going bad before, so I just... needed something to punch."
"I can see that," replied the woman, looking at the large tree that had been the unfortunate victim of Yang's anger. "As it happens, I'm in town searching for someone that I lost too. So, I can relate."
"Thanks, I guess," sighed Yang. The woman smiled warmly, her single, teardrop-shaped earring dangling in her ear as she stood up.
"You know, it's past midnight," said the woman, offering a hand to help Yang to her feet. "If you've got somewhere to sleep, you might want to turn in." But the blonde raised an eyebrow and looked at the dusk sky in confusion.
"Midnight?" questioned Yang, shifting her Ember Cilica back into their bracelet forms. How long did sunsets last in this place? The woman's eyes widened, and she cupped her chin as if putting the pieces together.
"You're farther home than you let on, aren't you?" she asked, her tone becoming more serious.
"Huh?" Yang looked at her in shock. Was it that obvious? But the woman smiled and shook her head.
"Let's just say that I've been around," said the woman. "So, we've got even more in common." Looking more closely, Yang noticed a single elbow pad on the woman's left arm, and her gloves had metal near the knuckles. All signs that she was a fighter, which contrasted with her gentle demeanor from earlier.
The woman suddenly turned, checking her surroundings. Yang caught a glimpse of how her hair was tied at the tips to form a dolphin-tail split. After seeing nothing, the brunette looked at Yang with a dead-serious expression.
"Maybe I'm being paranoid," she admitted, keeping a vigilant watch of their surroundings. "But we should talk somewhere else," One last check of their surroundings, and she added, "about your world."
"What?!" gasped Yang, jumping to her feet and pocketing the wayfinder in alertness. Suddenly, the woman's words about having much in common clicked. "You mean you're—?"
"Like I said," interrupted the woman. "I've been around." She pointed to the sky. "If you were from here, you'd know that it's always sunset."
Yang was shocked to learn that. Although it would definitely explain how this place got its name.
[ -Twilight Town- ]
"I've found an inn to rest at," said the woman, pointing back to the town, "and I've got enough munny to get you a room if you need it, Miss…?"
"Um," the blonde hesitated in caution. But this could be her only shot at getting answers and maybe even finding the others. And if it meant finding her friends, then it was worth the risks. So she took a deep breath and answered, "Yang. My name is Yang Xiao Long."
"Nice to meet you, Yang," said the brunette, a warm smile returning to her face as she placed a hand on her chest. "I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart."
"Wow," commented Sora as he and the rest of his new team returned to the First District. "Things look much livelier than last time." After finally getting some shut-eye, he and the others decided to stock up on some supplies before blasting off. What they found was a much more crowded area than they'd left it. A bunch of people, human or otherwise, were walking about as if it were an ordinary day. People were eating or having casual conversations at the Cafe/Bar, some kids playing in the main square, and people going in and out of the shops.
"Well, it only makes sense," commented Goofy as he looked around the place. "This is supposed to be mornin' for this place."
"Heh," chuckled Sora as he leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. "Guess you've got a point." Ruby wasn't the only one who needed to get used to things being different. The way people were casually walking about made him think of some nighttime festivals back home, minus the actual festival. His thoughts were interrupted by a conversation behind him.
"Are you kidding me?" groaned Ruby as she and Donald entered the district. The girl's arms hung limply by her side while the duck sighed, shaking his head.
"Sorry, Ruby," said Donald, handing the blue materia back to her. "But that's what I got from it."
"What's the matter?" asked Goofy as he and Sora looked at them.
"According to our magic expert," explained Ruby, thumbing to the duck as she gazed disappointedly at her prize, "I can't use this materia on its own."
"Really?" asked Sora, receiving a nod from the mage.
"Yep," answered Donald with a sigh. "But I might be able to help." He reached into one of his pockets. Out it flashed a glowing, green orb or materia. "I brought this old thing in case our new Keyblade wielder needed help with magic training. It's pretty old, but should still work."
"Really?" asked Ruby as she accepted the orb in her right hand. "Will it work with mine?"
"Uncle Donald?" interrupted a familiar voice. Everyone turned to see a certain duckling coming from the Cafe/Bar, wearing a red t-shirt and a red cap. "Goofy?"
"Huey?" asked the two royal agents in unison.
"Uncle?" questioned both Sora and Ruby as they looked between the duck and the duckling. In retrospect, the Keyblade wielder could definitely see a family resemblance.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming to town?" asked Huey.
"Well—uh," replied Goofy in confusion. "We didn't know you'd be here."
"Where're the others?" asked Donald.
"Oh, they're back at the Item Shop," he answered, thumbing to said store. "I was just getting breakfast when I saw you." He held up a to-go bag from the Cafe/Bar as evidence.
"Well, whaddya know? A-hyuck!" chuckled Goofy. "We were plannin' on gettin' some supplies there."
"Don't suppose you have any materia?" asked Ruby, holding up both of the ones in her hands. "Figured we could stock up if you do."
"Sorry," apologized Huey. "But after a certain accident, one of us isn't allowed anywhere near that stuff."
"Dewey?" questioned Donald with an unamused face.
"Dewey," sighed his nephew in confirmation.
"We so gotta hear that story later," Ruby whispered to her new partner. Sora nodded with a chuckle, wondering what kind of trouble the triplets must've gotten into.
"Anyway," said Huey. "You might still find some at the Accessory Shop."
"Thanks, Huey," said Sora. "Maybe we can learn more about Ruby's while we're there." He pointed to the orbs in each of her hands for emphasis.
"Oh, I think I can help with that," said Huey as he placed the bag on the ground. He then lifted his cap to pull out a small red book with an emblem of a "J" between two W's. After flipping through it, he landed on a page that got him to smile.
"Here we are. According to the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, materia are highly condensed, crystalized orbs of magic power and knowledge. While they're often created by powerful and skilled magic users, materia can also be found in many hidden places. Nobody really knows where they came from. Theories range from leftover treasures hidden for the worthy to an ancient disaster scattering an entire race's magic to the cosmos."
"Huh," commented Sora as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. "That second one sounds wild."
"You got all that from a boy scout's guidebook?" questioned Ruby, tilting her head.
"You'd be surprised what this bad boy's got info on," retorted Huey with a proud smile before returning his gaze to the pages. "It also says that a materia falls into categories based on color. Green is for casting spells, yellow is for special abilities/skills, and—ooh! Blue is 'support' materia. You can link it with a compatible orb to enhance its power and gain an extra ability."
"Called it," said a smug Donald, folding his arms.
"Yeah, yeah," said Ruby, holding up the green orb. "Thanks again. Still, I was planning on stopping by the Accessory Shop anyway." Sora nodded, recalling the new equipment that'd be ready and waiting for her.
"Then you should hurry," warned Huey. "I think they're running low. Our people are still out, getting more in some other world."
"Wait," said Donald, giving his nephew a suspicious look. "Who's getting more where?"
"Come on, Boko!" shouted Della Duck as she whipped the reins. "HYAH!"
"KWEH!" responded the chocobo, as he pushed himself even harder, pulling the wagon full of materia through the forest road as fast as possible. Just a couple more miles, and they'd be in the clear for the Sunchaser gummi ship to pick them up. But there was one problem.
"It's still after us!" shouted Webby Vanderquack from the back of the caravan. As if to confirm her claim, a loud, hissing roar could be heard along with the sound of trees toppling. A glance back, and Della could see the giant, brownish-green serpent slithering after them, its red eyes burning with fury.
"Aw, phooey," groaned Della. "Take a hint and buzz off!"
Terrato, the great serpent, roared in response before lifting his head in the air and slamming it down. The ground cracked as a long trail of spires burst forth, heading straight for the escaping adventurers. Thinking fast, Della pulled the reins to the right, guiding the chocobo out of the approaching earth-magic attack just in time. Even so, the ground shook, and some of the materia rolled about. A couple of orbs bounced into the air. But Webby acted fast, catching them just in time before falling back to the wagon's floor.
"Of all the worlds to find a bunch of materia," grunted Donald's twin sister, "We just had to pick the one with a ridiculously stubborn snake monster."
"Come on. Come on," muttered Webby as she searched through the orbs they'd gathered. "Where's the wind materia? If he has earth magic, then he's gotta be weak to wind, right?"
"I don't know!" shouted Della. "Donald's the mage, not me. Just pick something!" Before Webby could reach a decision, Terrato sent a torrent of hurricane-like winds at them.
"Wind magic!" shouted the pink-clad duckling as she was nearly blown off the wagon. "He's got Wind magic too!" As she held onto the wagon's railing, the girl used her free hand to catch any orbs of materia that were blown out. One nearly got past her, only for the duckling to catch it with her webbed feet.
"Bad move for him," retorted Della, smirking as she locked both legs, including her metal one, against the driver's seat. "Hang on. Boko, wings out!"
After she gave the reins another shake, the giant bird complied with a resounding "KWEH!"
"Woo-hoo!" cheered Della as the chocobo's wings caught the wind, pulling the wagon even faster.
"Yeah—OH NO!" Webby yelled as she lost her grip, the winds sending her tumbling through the air!
"Webby!" yelled Della in despair. But Webby quickly used her now-free hand to pull out her grappling gun and fire it at the wagon. Its hook latched onto the safety railing just as the winds stopped. The gun reeled in, pulling her right back into the wagon.
"You okay?" called out Della in concern.
"No problem!" cheered Webby. The girl's reverie was immediately broken when Terrato released another roar. Suddenly, spires of rocks randomly erupted from the road ahead. "BIG PROBLEM!"
Della made a desperate attempt to steer around the new obstacles, but it was getting harder with each one. There were more sprouting from the ground, each getting closer and closer. Finally, three erupted just ahead of them, with no space in between!
"AAAAAH!" screamed Della.
"AAAAAH!" screamed Webby.
"KWEEEEH!" cawed Boko.
"Gwarsh," commented Goofy, hoping Donald's sister and Webby weren't taking on more than they could handle.
"Wow," commented Sora. "Sounds like you've got an awesome family, Donald."
"Yeah," Donald sighed sarcastically while facepalming. "Just great."
"Heh," softly chuckled Ruby, her eyes becoming downcast. "Kinda reminds me of mine." Goofy felt his heart sink at hearing that. Sora looked ready to comfort her, but the young Rose steeled herself before smiling. Though it looked a little forced.
The royal knight wanted to say something encouraging, but he was afraid of blurting something out. Donald had made it clear to him the other night that they couldn't let the red reaper know what they knew. It was frustrating, and he wasn't sure he could keep it up much longer.
"Say," began Goofy, "Since we're wantin' to get a move on, how's about you two head on over to the Accessory Shop?" He pointed to the humans in their group. "Me and Donald'll get the rest of our supplies at the Item Shop. That way, he can catch up with his nephews, and we'll be ready to leave sooner."
"Hm," hummed Sora, cupping his chin, "sounds good to me. How about you?"
"Yeah," agreed the silver-eyed girl. "I can't wait to get Array's Fragment back."
"Well then, skedaddle," said Goofy with a wave. The human teens nodded and headed for the store.
"Be careful, you two," called out Donald. "Don't try any magic without supervision."
"Got it," replied Ruby, waving the hand with a blue orb. The teens then excitedly picked up their pace as they ascended the stairs.
"Come on, Uncle Donald," said Huey as he grabbed the to-go bag again. "Dewey and Louie will be glad to see you… Assuming they aren't up to—yeah, we should go."
The red-clad triplet dashed to the Item Shop, with the two agents of Disney Castle behind him. As they neared the shop, Goofy lifted an ear, listening for the Accessory Shop's door to close. When he heard the click, he grabbed Donald by the shoulder just as they were about to enter his nephews' shop.
"Huh?" asked the mage in surprise.
"Why don't you go on in, Huey?" said Goofy. "I need to talk to your uncle for a sec."
"Uh, sure thing," answered the duckling before heading inside. Once they were alone, Goofy let his expression fall a bit. Donald, seeming to recognize the look on his face, let out a sigh.
"Okay," rasped the duck. "What is it?"
"Donald, I don't like what we're doin' with Ruby," explained the knight in a guilty tone.
"How do you think I feel?" responded Donald. "But Sora didn't leave us much of a choice. We just gotta make sure she stays safe along the way."
"That's not what I'm talking about," said Goofy, shaking his head as he nervously clasped his hands together. "I hate lyin' to her like this."
"Goofy, you know what the King promised all those years ago."
"Yeah, but you and I didn't promise nothin'."
"We should still honor it," argued Donald, his tone getting more aggressive. "The King agreed that her family should be the ones to tell her about that."
"Yeah. Because her folks wanted to keep her safe. But, whether we like it or not, she's right smack in the middle of this stuff now."
"Think of how she'll react if it comes from us," pleaded Donald. "How will she be able to trust her family when they've been keeping something this big from her? There's more than one way for them to lose her."
"But don't ya think it could end up the same way for us if she finds out we've been hidin' it?" Donald paused for a moment before responding.
"Better she feels that way about a couple of strangers than her family." His eyes moved towards the Item Shop with a guilty expression. Goofy looked back and forth between his old pal and the shop until the pieces clicked together.
"Aw. Come on now. This ain't like what happened with Della."
"When the boys found out on their own," sighed Donald, "Uncle Scrooge and I nearly lost them for good."
"You still patched things up," reasoned Goofy. "And it all worked out, especially since she's back now."
"We got lucky," replied the duck in a serious tone. "Ruby didn't." He took a deep breath and turned back to Goofy. "Look. She's been through enough lately. I don't want to drop that bomb on her right now. So, let's find her family and let them explain the truth to her. If she gets close to figuring it out, then we'll admit it. Okay?"
"D-ohhh…" Goofy groaned nervously, looking at where Ruby and Sora had gone. If the young Rose was going to hang out with them and the new Keyblade wielder, it was only a matter of time. But it didn't seem like Donald was going to budge on this, so he sighed in defeat. "Alright. But as soon as she starts puttin' things together, we fess up."
Donald nodded in acceptance, but it was obvious he was hoping that time wouldn't come. Still, Goofy felt that it would be all too soon.
…
"How about Team SRDG (surge)?" asked Sora as he and Ruby waited behind another customer at the front counter.
Ruby hummed in thought. "It sounds cool. But I don't think that's a color."
"Does it have to be?"
"Kinda," she shrugged. "It's part of the tradition." Putting both orbs of materia in her right hand, she then held up her left one as she continued, "A team's name has to either be a color, sound like a color, mean a color, or make people think of a color."
"Well," pointed out Sora, "'Surge' makes me think of blue."
"Yeah, but also yellow, white, and even purple," countered Ruby, thinking back to all the lightning she'd seen in real life and in pictures. "But that's the problem. We need something that relates to a specific color."
"Okay, good point," Sora sighed in defeat.
"Sorry," shrugged Ruby. I've been thinking about it since breakfast, but I don't think we've got a good set of initials to work with. Coming up with a color-related name is gonna be tricky."
"You're telling me," said Jiminy's voice. The cricket chronicler climbed out of Sora's hood and stood on his shoulder with an open journal. "I've been writin' down as many combinations of all your initials as I could think of, and I'm still stumped."
"Well, thanks anyway, Jiminy," said Sora, folding his arms and humming in thought. "Maybe we can do something like with Team RWBY and have one letter make a different sound than it's supposed to?"
"I'm not sure which one we'd use for that," said Ruby.
"And that should do it," came Cid's voice from behind the counter. "Come again, you hear?" The young man nodded and left, allowing Sora and Ruby to move up to the counter.
"Morning, Cid," greeted the silver-eyed girl with a wave. "Did you miss us?"
"Hey there, Ruby, Sora," said the blond. "So, you two found a way off-world yet?"
"Yep," confirmed Sora as he placed his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. "We just need to take care of a few things before heading out." He nodded to his partner, and Ruby put her hands together as if in prayer.
"Have you seen our moogle friend from last night—er… I mean… From before!"
"Hmph," chuckled the man. "Bit of advice, Little Lady: don't bother tryin' to get technical with nighttime around here. You'll just give yourself a freakin' migraine. As for your question…" He reached for a small radio and held it to his mouth.
"Hey, Mogly!" shouted the gruff man. Immediately, Ruby heard what sounded like a bunch of stuff clattering above the ceiling. "Get yer tiny butt down here! You've got company!"
Ruby heard a muffled version of that strange whistling sound from before. There was a lot of high-pitched muttering until the ladder lowered and the hatch popped open. The tiny, toy-like creature from their last visit flew down, rapidly flapping his little batwings as he arrived.
"Why do you always have to call so rudely, Kupo?" protested the moogle in a high-pitched voice as he angrily waved his stubby little hand at the blond. "Oh?" He stopped mid-air when he noticed the pair of teens looking at him.
"Hiya," greeted Sora with a wave.
"Good to see you," nervously greeted Ruby. "Hope we didn't disturb you too badly."
"It's so good to see both of you again, Kupo," said Mogly as he flew towards Ruby in particular. "I've already finished your new holster. Would you like to see it, Kupo?"
"You bet I do," eagerly replied Ruby. She'd been wondering what kind of strap or sheath the moogle had been designing for Array's Fragment. Plus, she was really eager to get her sword back."
"Just give me a minute, and I'll have it out in no time, Kupo," replied Mogly as he flew back up the ladder. After a moment, he soon descended again, only he was carrying Array's Fragment, but it was now sheathed in a silver, mechanical holster with a dark gray belt.
"Ooooh," gushed Ruby as she saw the device.
"Here you go," said Mogly as he handed back her second weapon. Ruby eyed the holster with intrigue. It looked like a combination of a sword sheath and a gun-holster. Its design was shaped so that every sharp end of Array's Fragment's folded blade was covered. There was a safety on the shorter, top blade that would flip open with the press of a button.
"That looks awesome," commented Sora. He then smirked and lightly jabbed Ruby's arm. "Just like I said, huh?"
"Yep," chuckled Ruby. "You called it." Her attention was then drawn to a small hole in the holster. "Hey, what's this circle for?"
"Oh, that's a materia slot," explained Mogly. "Since you didn't want me to modify the sword, I thought I'd add it to the holster instead, Kupo."
"Materia slot?" questioned Sora as he looked between the hole and the orbs in Ruby's hand. "Uh, it seems kinda small."
"Those things'll still fit most slots made for 'em," said Cid. "Good thing too, because it's not like you can use 'em from your pocket."
"Oh yeah," said Ruby as she recalled their previous fight with Leon. "Yuffie's shuriken has some. One of them glowed before she used magic last nig—uh… yester… night. Yeah, I'm going with yesternight."
"Oh, so you met her?" asked Cid. "Do yourself a favor and keep that orb away from her." He pointed at the blue sphere in Ruby's hand. "She may not be as much of a thief since the intervention, but she still gets grabby with enough temptin'."
"Yeah, I learned that after getting this," replied Ruby, giggling nervously. She then turned to Mogly and accepted the holster back with her free hand. "Thanks again, Mogly. This is even better than I imagined it'd be."
"It's the least I could do after you two saved me, Kupo," replied Mogly with a wave. "But I need to help the other moogles fix up our workshop. Once it's ready, you should come by. We moogles make all kinds of things so long as you bring us the right materials, Kupo."
"We will," said Sora with a thumbs up. "Thanks again, little guy." The moogle waved at the teens and fluttered back up through the entrance to the workshop.
"Well, if that's all you came here for," said Cid, thumbing to a couple more people in the shop, "I've got more customers to deal with."
"Actually," said Ruby, as she approached the counter with her new items. "We were hoping you could help us with these." She placed the blue and green materia on the counter. "See, I kinda need to link up this 'elemental' materia with this other one for it to work. And since we're here, do you have any other orbs?"
"Sorry, Missy," shrugged Cid. "Fresh out. But, with a name like 'Elemental', I figure this Fire materia of yours'll do the job. Still, you'll need somthin' with linked slots to get it workin'."
"No problem," boasted Sora as he reached into his pocket. "How much?"
"Hmph," chuckled Cid. "Well, let's see…"
…
Sora felt extra grateful for all the munny he'd gotten from destroying Heartless. He wasn't sure why a bunch of dark monsters would be carrying the stuff, but he wasn't complaining.
As they left the shop, Ruby kept admiring the silver armlet on her left bicep. The green and blue materia glowed in their linked slots. She'd reworked her belt so the pouch that once contained ammo now sat on her left side. She wore a dark gray belt under her original one, with Array's Fragment sitting in its holster on her right side.
"That's a good look for you," commented Sora as he held his hands behind his head.
"Thanks," said Ruby. "I'm not usually that into jewelry, but getting to use magic definitely makes it interesting."
"No kidding," chuckled Sora. "So, do you feel any different with that materia equipped?"
"Hmm… I think so." She paused, staring at the orbs on her arm. "It's like, I'm more charged up, but also natural in some weird way." She then turned to Sora. "What about you, Mr. Doesn't Need Materia? Did you feel any different when the Keyblade chose you?"
"Oh, yeah," Sora nearly shouted. "It was like a huge surge of strength flowed into me. But sometimes, it also feels kind of familiar."
"Hey, fellas!" called Goofy's voice, interrupting their conversation. The two teens turned to see their two-legged canine friend happily waving at them from in front of the Cafe/Bar. Donald was waving right alongside him.
"Come on," said Sora as he took off down the stairs. Ruby followed after him. As they arrived, the teens got a bit of a surprise when they saw Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith all standing in the diner, waiting for them.
"Oh, hey, guys," greeted Sora.
"Did you come to see us off?" asked Ruby.
"Yep," answered Aerith, turning to smile at Ruby. "I could sense you as soon as you came outside. That aura of yours is pretty interesting.
"Thanks, I guess," replied Ruby, scratching her head. The pink-clad woman had told them the previous night how she was a natural magic user who could sense stuff like souls, and Ruby's active aura made hers stand out.
"We ran into them after leaving the Item Shop," said Goofy. "Can't leave without sayin' goodbye, right?"
"Uh-huh," nodded Donald.
"Actually," said Yuffie, "we've got a favor to ask of you guys while you explore other worlds." A mischievous smirk grew on her lips as her eyes turned to Leon. "Or at least, Squall here does."
"That's Leon," corrected the gunblade wielder.
"Whatever you say, Sir Broods-a-lot," replied the shinobi with a mock salute, earning a giggle from Aerith. Leon pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.
"What's going on?" asked Sora.
"There's a couple who live in the Second District with their two Dalmatians," said Leon.
"The Radcliffes?" asked Ruby, tilting her head. "We met them last—yesternight! Anyway, what about them?"
Leon hesitated, turning his gaze away from the group for a second.
"What's wrong?" asked Sora.
"They're quite upset," continued Leon. "They've lost their puppies."
Sora felt his heart sink at that comment. He'd actually suspected as much after spotting framed pictures of Dalmatian puppies back at their house. It reminded him of a cat and dog who'd lived next door to him. Sora didn't even want to think about those two not making it off the island.
"Leon can't stop worrying about them," added Yuffie before raising a hand to block Leon's view of her mouth, loudly whispering, "Seriously. Like, all the time."
"Are you saying you're not worried about the puppies," countered Aerith, catching the ninja off-guard.
"Uh—of course not!" protested Yuffie. "What kind of a monster do you think I am? I'm just saying Leon's more of a softie than he lets on." Their exchange earned a couple of chuckles from Sora and his teammates.
"Sora, Donald, Ruby, Goofy," said Aerith, turning to each member of the newly established team, and getting Ruby's expression to light up for some reason. "Would you look for the puppies?"
"Help them out," Leon finally concluded, keeping his eyes closed and arms crossed as he continued leaning against the wall.
"We'll do whatever we can," nodded Goofy before turning to the duck mage, "Right?"
"Yeah," said Donald. "But, there's a lot of worlds to check. With all we've got on our plate already, it won't be easy to—"
BOOM!
Everyone in the area jolted as a loud noise came from the town's entrance. Sora was briefly worried that he might've drawn the Heartless in again. But those thoughts vanished when he heard what sounded like a small dog barking. Ruby gasped, her silver eyes brimming with hope.
"I know that bark!" She rushed out of the Cafe/Bar and Sora was right behind her. As he followed, the Keyblade wielder heard a lot of higher-pitched barks. Immediately, he saw what had caused the noise. Everyone in the First District looked in shock to find that the doors to the outer docks had been slammed wide open, and nearly a dozen Dalmatian puppies were charging into the First District. Guiding them from the side was a black-and-white Corgi, barking as if it were giving orders.
"ZWEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIII!"
"Whoa!" shouted Sora, feeling the heat as Ruby's entire body suddenly enveloped in flames, and she zoomed over to the Corgi, leaving a trail of fiery rose petals floating in the air.
"Wak!?"
"A-hyuck!?"
The dog jumped back in surprise at first. But as soon as the flames dissipated and he saw Ruby without so much as a sunburn, his tail wagged furiously as he yelped with excitement. The Corgi leaped into the huntress's welcoming arms, licking her face as she laughed and spun in place.
"Ruby?" questioned Sora, amazed by what he'd just seen.
"Zwei?" asked Goofy, tilting his head.
"Puppies?" uttered Leon in subdued shock.
"Wow," commented Aerith with a humorous smile as she turned to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "You guys sure work fast." Donald shook his head, quacking in frustration.
"WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" shouted the duck mage. "What just happened!?"
"I found my dog," shouted Ruby with glee. "That's what! Oh, I'm so glad you're okay, boy. Didja miss me? Didja miss me!?"
Zwei barked in confirmation before licking Ruby's nose.
"I think Donald was talkin' about how you went all flamey," said Goofy. That statement got Ruby to pause and stare at them in confusion.
"I what?" she asked, only for Zwei to bark seemingly in agreement.
"Did you seriously not notice how your body was on fire when you used your semblance?" asked Sora in surprise. As soon as he mentioned it, the red reaper's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh," she slowly replied. "I thought something felt different, but I was so excited, and it felt like something I'd done a million times. Wait. Why did I feel that way!?"
"That's how blue materia works," answered Yuffie, pointing to the armlet on Ruby's left bicep. "Its power is like a reflex once you get it working." The shinobi cupped her chin in thought. "Guess your speed must've mixed with its magic." A devious smirk appeared on her face until she leaned toward Ruby. "So, about unlocking auras, how badly would we be hurt if you mess up with ours?"
"Worst-case scenario?" began the silver-eyed girl. "We both pass out and get blown in opposite directions." There was a short pause as Yuffie awkwardly stepped away from the red reaper, laughing nervously.
"Yeah, I think I'm good without aura," commented Sora, petting some of the puppies while Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement. True, his body could probably take hits like that with the Keyblade's power. But that didn't mean he was willing to test it out.
"Anyway," said Leon as he kneeled to get a better look at the puppies. "How'd your dog find these puppies and slam open the doors like that?"
"Oh, I don't know if that second part's so weird," countered Aerith as she looked at Leon with a mischievous smile. "We know a certain other dog who can pull it off, don't we, Leon."
"Yeah," grinned Yuffie as she rejoined on his other side. "One who belongs to a certain someone?" Sora wasn't sure, but it looked like Leon was actually blushing a little. He was about to ask what they were talking about when Zwei started licking Ruby's face again.
"Haha!" Ruby giggled. "Okay! Okay! That's enough, boy." The Corgi complied, but Ruby still hugged him tight, pressing the side of his face into her own as she smiled at the others. However, Zwei's ears suddenly perked. He turned his head toward the puppies and barked at them. The puppies all gave him their attention, and he seemed to study the litter before tilting his head and leaping out of Ruby's arms, walking back towards the doors he'd slammed open.
"What is it, boy?" asked Ruby as she started following. But right after disappearing around a corner, the dog barked and came back, pushing a lagging Dalmatian puppy so that he joined the others.
"That is a good boy," giggled Aerith, hunching over with her hands on her knees. "Good work, Zwei, and nice to meet you." The Corgi panted happily at the pink-clad woman. "How about you let us take the puppies to the Radcliffes? I'm sure they'll be really happy to have some of their family back."
"Some?" questioned Sora. "How many more are missing?"
"Let's see," said Aerith, silently counting each one. "There's… twelve puppies here now. So that's… 87 more to go."
Sora's jaw dropped, Ruby hunched over with wide eyes as her arms hung limply by her sides, and Donald and Goofy's eyes bulged out.
"How… did Perdita—?" stammered Ruby.
"Most of them were adopted," explained Leon. "Long story."
"We might need a bigger ship," commented Donald. Sora had no doubt that the duck's skin had paled underneath those white feathers. The Keyblade wielder felt something shuffle in his hood before Jiminy hopped out and landed on his shoulder.
"Well then," said the cricket as he held up his journal. "I suppose I'll just have to keep track of how many we've found in my journal."
"Thanks, Jiminy," said Ruby as she scooped Zwei back up in her arms. "And if Zwei was able to find this many here, he'll definitely be able to help us find more in other worlds. Right, Boy?"
Zwei barked in affirmation.
"Hold on," said Donald, squinting in suspicion. "Is he at least house-trained?" Ruby gave a smug look before responding.
"He even knows how you flush the toilet. My dad was very thorough with his training."
Sora looked in awe before chuckling as he reached to scratch the Corgi's head and said, "Welcome to the crew, Zwei."
"Hmph," half-chuckled Leon with a faint smirk. "We'll let the Radcliffes know what he did for them. Sora, Donald, Ruby, Goofy?" Each person he called turned their attention to him. "Good luck on your journey."
"Yeah," replied Aerith with a wave. "I hope you find your friends."
"See you all later!" called out Yuffie, waving with each word she spoke.
"Thanks, guys," nodded Sora with a smirk as he pumped his fist. "We'll do our best."
…
"Alright," said Ruby as she stood alongside Sora and Zwei in the Outer Docks. "Ready whenever you are."
"Ditto," added Sora with a mock salute.
Zwei gave an affirmative bark. While Ruby was ecstatic to have her beloved Corgi back, she was confused by something.
"So," asked Ruby, "why is Zwei part of our magic lesson? No offense, boy."
Zwei wagged his stubby tail as he shook his head wildly.
"This isn't the lesson," quacked Donald, standing tall with one hand behind his back and the other raised pointedly. After spending enough time with him, Ruby was starting to find him a little easier to understand. "This is just something we need to take care of before you go to other worlds. First rule: Never let locals know where you're really from. Each world is unique with its own rules."
"Uh-huh," added Goofy with a nod. "We need to maintain the World Bor—"
"ORDER!" interrupted Donald. Ruby and Sora couldn't help but snicker at the two's antics. The royal mage turned his attention back to the three new crew members of the gummi ship. "That's why I'll need to do this to you."
He summoned his Mage's Staff and raised it high. Its tip flashed with a high-pitched twinkle. Ruby felt a strong tingle as she, Sora, and Zwei's bodies lit up. Circles of magic rose around each of them. Ruby and Sora nearly stumbled back, while Zwei barked at the magical light show. But just as quickly as it'd started, the magic dissipated.
"What was that tingling?" asked Sora, checking himself over. "I don't seem any different."
"Me neither," replied Ruby.
Zwei stopped to scratch his ear.
"It's not obvious until we reach the right world," explained Donald.
"Yeah," added Goofy. "You see, there are some worlds where we'd all stick out. That there spell'll help ya blend in."
"Ohhh," said Ruby, realizing the point they had. "Yeah, that makes sense."
"And we just have this spell on us forever now?" asked Sora.
"Yep," said Donald. "Now for the lesson. To use magic, you have to really focus on what it is you're trying to do." He then pointed to the armlet on Ruby's bicep. "Feel the energy flowing within."
"Kind of like aura…" muttered Ruby, cupping her chin. "Focus on the energy that comes from your soul." That might've explained why the Elemental materia reacted to her petal burst. But she somehow immediately realized that she'd missed a piece of the puzzle.
"Kinda…" replied Donald, wiggling his hand in a 'so-so' expression. "But it's not just your soul. It's also—"
"The heart inside it," blurted out Ruby. She covered her mouth in shock, not even sure where she'd gotten that from.
"Haaa…" sighed Donald. "Right. Your materia's already sharing its knowledge with you. Anyway…" He waved his staff again, and a holographic image of a heart appeared. It floated in the air until a wave-like energy flowed out and around it. "Souls are like batteries for people and animals. When it's gone, qqqqqk." He made a slicing motion with his finger across his throat. "But the heart has everything that makes you you." He waved his staff again and made the image disappear. "Both affect each other." With another wave, the heart image formed a hole in its center. "Some hearts are missing the magic part and need help from enchanted weapons, materia, you get the idea."
'Souls are affected by hearts,' mused Ruby as she cupped her chin. With what she knew about semblances, some theorized that personalities influenced them. But if what Donald said was true, then that part had to be the heart's doing. Even still, what about Weiss? Her semblance ran in her family.
"Okay…" said Sora, scratching his head as he interrupted her thoughts. "I think I get it. So, how do I start throwing fireballs or calling lightning?"
"I'm only gonna be able to do that first one for now," added Ruby, pointing to the Fire materia on her armlet."
"Right," agreed Donald. "But before you start shooting them, try just making a fire in your hand." He dismissed his staff and held out his open palm. Almost instantly, a flame about the size of a materia orb lit above his palm. "You gotta concentrate on the bit. Imagine your power lighting the air."
Ruby took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She'd already done something similar unconsciously, thanks to the Elemental materia. So this should've been no problem. She focused on her aura at first, but then she started searching for something else. Something deeper. At first, it felt like something was blocking her, but then the green orb on her armlet guided her. She tried to think of the flame as an extension of herself. She felt the power flowing through her arm. The heat was gathering in her hand.
Fwoosh.
Ruby gasped, opening her eyes to find a flame just like Donald's burning in her left palm. But she felt no pain. Just like with her Flame Burst, the heat actually felt good.
"Alright, Ruby!" shouted Sora, gazing at the flame excitedly. Zwei barked excitedly from beside her, and the red reaper couldn't help but release a shocked laugh.
"I'm doing it! On purpose this time!" she shouted with glee. 'Eat your heart out, Cinder!' She paused and let the flame die as that thought occurred to her. What if that witch was alive too?
"My turn!" exclaimed Sora, holding out his right hand. Instead of closing his eyes, he focused his gaze on his hand. In no time, a flame just like Ruby's erupted from his palms with no trouble at all.
"Way to go, Sora!" shouted Goofy with a chuckle. "You pick up on this stuff fast!"
"Wow," commented Donald in shock. "Ruby had materia to guide her, so I thought you'd have more trouble."
"Heh-ha," chuckled Sora. He dissipated the flame, only to immediately summon the Keyblade in both hands. Its tip lit up in flames as he pointed it high. "FIRE!" Immediately, a fireball shot out of his weapon as if it were a gun, rocketing into the sky. The spell even triggered a recoil that forced his body to slide back an inch or two.
"Show off," chuckled Ruby.
"Hey!" shouted Donald, jumping wildly in anger. "No skipping ahead!"
"Huh?" Sora stopped and turned to the others as if he'd just remembered that they were there. Then he smiled sheepishly as he scratched his head. "Oh. Sorry. Guess I got carried away."
"Well, at least ya got to channelin' magic through your weapon pretty quick," commented Goofy. "You're a natural at this."
"Yeah," Sora trailed off, staring at the Keyblade in thought. "Yeah, I guess I am..."
"Mind if I give it a shot?" asked Ruby, looking at Donald as she pulled out Crescent Rose, converting it into its rifle mode. "I wanna see if I can use magic the same way as with Dust."
The duck sighed before shrugging. "Fine. Just be careful where you aim. And remember to focus your power on the weapon's tip. Don't let it get mixed with your ammo, or you'll blow up."
"Got it," replied Ruby. She aimed her rifle towards the sky and focused as she had done with her hand. This time, she focused on the idea of power building at the end of her gun's barrel. More than when she'd simply created a flame on her hand. Crescent Rose had already felt like an extension of herself since the day she'd finished crafting it, but now she had to treat it as if that statement were literal. She could feel the power coursing through the metal, and she made sure that none of it reached her Dust rounds. Aiming high, she saw as flames appeared and did just as Sora had.
"FIRE!" she shouted. A ball of flame shot out, flying higher and higher into the sky. "Whoo! If the recoil had more of a kick, I wouldn't need Dust anymore!" Zwei barked in excitement at her happiness.
"Now remember," warned Donald. "You can't just keep shooting all the time. Both of you are new to this, so your magical stamina shouldn't be that strong yet. Once you're running low, you'll feel it. When you're out, you'll need time to get that stamina back before casting another spell."
"Huh," mused Ruby, feeling reminded of some games she'd played back on Remnant. "Next you're gonna tell us that there's a potion for speeding that up."
"Naw, a potion ain't gonna fix that," said Goofy as he pulled out a cubic bottle of glowing blue liquid. "That's what ether is for." Ruby stared at the bottle in astonishment, briefly questioning her own existence.
"Okay," said Donald as he dismissed his staff. "I think that covers it for now. Everyone ready to head out?"
"Totally!" answered Ruby, storing away Crescent Rose.
"Yeah!" agreed Goofy with a salute.
"Uh-huh!" added Sora. "From here on, our team's soaring to new worlds."
Ruby paused as she heard that last sentence. Her eyes widened as the pieces clicked in her mind.
"Maybe we can do something like with Team RWBY and have one letter make a different sound than it's supposed to?" said Sora.
"Sora, Donald, Ruby, Goofy," said Aerith.
"Sora, Donald, Ruby, Goofy?" said Leon.
It may have been a bit forced by having the "D" serve as an "O," but the two letters sort of looked alike. Plus, she'd seen some team names stretch things like that before. It also made her think of the blue sky, and it sounded similar to Sora's own name. Not to mention, it fit pretty well with them flying to other worlds. It was just too perfect to not use.
"Sora!" exclaimed Ruby, stopping the others in their tracks as she pointed at her partner. "That's it!"
"Huh?" asked the Keyblade wielder. "What is?"
"What you just said! That should be our name! Team SDRG (Soaring)!"
"Huh?" asked Donald and Goofy, tilting their heads in unison.
"Oh, right," said Ruby, scratching her head. "You two weren't around when I brought up team names."
"You know," said Jiminy as he hopped out of Sora's hood, scratching his chin with a smirk. "That name does sound pretty catchy."
"Yeah," agreed Sora, cupping his chin with a smile. "I kinda like it."
"Why do we even need a name?" asked Donald.
"It's a tradition from back on Remnant," said Ruby. "I just felt like honoring Remnant's memory, you know? I can explain it to you guys on the way to the ship."
"Well, in that case," said Goofy with a chuckle. "Sure. Let's call ourselves Team Soarin'. A-hyuck!"
With that said, the newly named Team SDRG headed off to begin their journey.
…
"Alright!" said Sora as he sat in his seat, eager to finally start traveling to other worlds. "Let's get this thing in the air!"
Donald pressed a couple of buttons from the pilot's seat, and the entire cockpit lit up with colorful lights from all around the passengers. "Engines's ready, and the ship's fully sealed." He then pressed a button near the steering wheel.
"This is gummi ship, Kingdom, calling to Disney Castle. Chip? Dale? You there?" A small monitor popped out on a mechanical arm in front of the controls, revealing two chipmunks in ornate aprons. One had dark brown fur with a small, black nose, while the other had lighter fur with a big red nose.
"This is Gummi HQ coming to you live," spoke the black-nosed chipmunk in a high-pitched voice. "We read you loud and clear, Donald."
"Didja find the 'Key' yet?" asked the red-nosed chipmunk, carrying a wrench over his shoulder.
"Hiya," replied Sora from the side, waving at the little monitor. "Um, can they see me?" The monitor's arm moved to face the Keyblade wielder. To demonstrate himself, Sora summoned the Keyblade into his hand. "I'm Sora."
"Nice ta meetcha," said the red-nosed one.
"Glad to have you aboard," added the black-nosed one, gesturing to himself. "We're Disney Castle's resident gummi engineers. I'm Chip…"
"And I'm Dale!" finished the red-nosed one.
"We're here too," said Ruby with a friendly wave. The monitor moved to face her and jolted as soon as the chipmunks saw her. An audible clang came from its speaker. Sora couldn't see what was onscreen from his position, but Ruby's eyebrows quirked while Zwei's head tilted. "What? Is something wrong?"
"AHEM!" quack/coughed Donald. "Don't mind her. This is our new friend, Ruby." He quickly grabbed the monitor and pulled it back to face himself. Sora could see both chipmunks were wide-eyed and their pupils had shrunken to pinpricks. Also, it seemed that Dale had dropped his wrench. "She's a survivor from a world that fell to darkness and she's agreed to help us." The chipmunks both shook their heads, and Chip even slapped his cheeks.
"O-okay," said Dale. "Sorry about that, Ruby. We were just surprised to see another new face."
"Anyway," said Chip, "welcome aboard to you too. We'll be keeping track of the ship's condition as you travel and lending any support we can." They both then broke into excited jumps. "Happy flying."
The ship vibrated as Sora heard the rockets fire up behind them. He watched outside the cockpit in awe as the ship lifted into the air. The engines roared, and the ship blasted into the sky. Sora fell back against his chair, feeling the motion in his gut as they flew higher and higher.
"Here we go!" shouted Goofy. Soon enough, they broke through the sky and into the stars.
"This is amazing!" shouted Ruby as she looked out the window in awe. "I can't believe I'm actually here now!"
"I know, right?" Sora agreed with a wide smile. This was a huge leap from the couple of biplanes he'd seen from time to time on the islands. Even though he knew this was coming, it still felt surreal to actually experience it. He could see colorful clouds of green, blue, and yellow. Looking behind him, he could see Traverse Town getting smaller and smaller. Goofy, sitting in the back seat, gave him a thumbs up.
"Alright!" said Sora as he excitedly pointed towards the front of the ship. "Riku, Kairi, the king, Yang, and everyone else, here we come!"
Kingdom Hearts SDRG:
Volume I
Author Notes:
Fun Fact: the dog on Ruby's tank is Tramp from Lady and the Tramp, and the hearts on her PJ pants are a red version of the one from the KH logo. I couldn't exactly give that description while writing from her point of view.
I wanted to slow things down and focus on the characters for a bit with this chapter. When you think about it, Sora's quest couldn't have happened all in one day. Still, we got to see some fun stuff that I'll bet you weren't expecting. That said, I ended up packing a lot of stuff in here.
The idea of all of the RWBY characters winding up in worlds that Sora visits this time around seemed a little too convenient to me. So I sent Yang to Twilight Town. I hope that I didn't lay it on too thick with her emotional breakdown. While she's still got both arms, losing your entire world would still be pretty traumatic. Especially when you can't find anyone who can understand or even believe your situation. Fortunately, our surprise character does know.
I recently learned that Tifa was supposed to be an optional boss in the first Kingdom Hearts, much like Sephiroth. So my decision to bring her in ended up being more fitting than I thought. My description of her appearance combines her OG and Remake designs, rather than one or the other.
I mentioned that one of my favorite RWBY characters would be in this chapter. Of course, Zwei survived! That dog is invincible. Busting his way into the First District with a bunch of rescued puppies felt like the most fitting return for such an amazing little Corgi.
Hope you like the team name I came up with. I meant it last chapter when I said that I spent a lot of time thinking about it. I even incorporated my thought process into the chapter somewhat. While that "D" instead of "O" part still bugs me, all the positives felt like they outweighed it. I'm also planning to change the title of this fanfic to the one above soon.
Honestly, I've been wanting to give this story a more creative name than just taking the titles of both franchises and putting an "x" between them for a while now. And Kingdom Hearts - SDRG does have a nice ring to it. But since the pronunciation isn't obvious, I'll have to include it in the synopsis when I make the change.
Review Responses:
TalonScythe: Ouch. But that review motivated me to put in extra effort. It also ended up sparking my idea to bring Tifa into this volume. Originally, I planned to include a scene that revealed which RWBY character is in Wonderland, but the Yang scene felt like it would hit much harder. I want this to be more than just dropping the RWBY cast into the KH1 storyline. It'll also explore how the characters' experiences affect them throughout the story.
As for being Remnant-bound afterward, there's a reason that I was originally planning to skip straight to Chain of Memories +
yarry06: I can definitely understand your thought process when it comes to aura and semblances. However, after learning that aura isn't "a gauge that gets bigger," I realized that idea could get complicated. Especially since 0 HP is way worse than 0 aura.
As for Cinder, I'm giving a LOT of thought to handling her character. I'm still unsure about actually redeeming her at some point. But I've already decided what will happen to her in this volume. She won't be the same as the show when this volume ends.
Next time: hold onto your sanity. It's down the rabbit hole as Team SDRG goes to Wonderland!
UPDATE: I'm not sure what triggers notifications here, but I decided to get rid of the "Chapter #" part in the chapter titles. With the number already shown by default, it just seemed redundant.
Also, if you go back through the chapters, you might notice that I've changed how the world names first pop up. Originally, I just had them Show Up Like This in the story. But I ran into a problem with that technique in Wonderland. It doesn't make sense to have Wonderland's name pop up from a character's perspective when they don't yet know it, and I want to keep the timing in line with the game.
Also, I've written character profiles for Team RWBY and Zwei in Jiminy's Journal, but I don't think they can be posted here, due to Fanfiction's content guidelines. Because of this, I'll probably only post it on archiveofourown.