Kairi fought her way through the ship, using Light Blades, Light orbs of explodey devastation, and basic magic to defeat her enemies before they even got close to her.
Soon, she came to the middle of the ship, and found an elevator.
She had to use her Keyblade again to open the doors, but then she rode it up - a platform that just hovered, all on its own, up a neon orange shaft. At the top, she found herself stepping out into a spacious bridge, full of large control consoles and computer terminals. There was a ramp that led up past them, to a lounge or viewing area, in front of a huge, pure glass wall that allowed one to view outside. From floor to ceiling.
Kairi gazed around the bridge, seeing people in glowing suits, with visors over their eyes - but no one in armor, and no one with weapons. No guards at all? No soldiers?
She guessed they hadn't actually expected anyone to make it to the bridge, especially not when the ship was all locked down like this.
Kairi strode forward, into the center of the bridge. She stopped, holding her Keyblade up and flaring her Light magic around her body in a crackling, golden aura. She formed Light Blades around her, pointing in all directions. "Anyone who doesn't want to be toast for a User, you should run while you still have the chance," she spoke out clearly.
The control operators all looked at her. Then they ran for the elevator. Kairi turned to watch them all cram themselves in, gathering on the platform - then the doors slid shut, and the hum of the elevator was heard.
Kairi grinned, letting her power fade. She turned back to look out across the bridge, to the lounge area. She strode up the ramp into it, then took note of another ramp, leading to an upper level. She went up the ramp to this new area, and stopped as soon as it all came into sight.
It was as spacious as the bridge below, and even had the same, floor-to-ceiling glass viewing wall on one side, except it looked more like the lounge area than anywhere important.
There was only one, single person up here.
A tall, towering, muscled man in a suit of neon yellow armor. He wasn't wearing a helmet. His face was that of a remarkably...normal-looking man's. He was maybe mid or late thirties, with combed back brown hair and blue eyes. He was standing in front of the window, his hands behind his back. But on Kairi's arrival, he turned around, giving a little sigh and-
Stopping.
He stared at her, tilting his head as a baffled look came to his face. "Who...are you now? You're not someone familiar to me..."
"Are you Clu?" Kairi demanded.
The man nodded. "Yeah...and you are?"
"I'm Kairi - a User. And I'm here to stop you - all of this. Ruling this world, hurting people, oppressing them and lying to them-"
"Another User?" Clu interjected, stepping forward with a heavy footfall. "Interesting. And how did you come to be inside the Grid?"
"It doesn't matter - not to you," Kairi responded fiercely. "I'm taking you down, right here, right now."
Clu smiled, gave a single chuckle. "Are you now. I am the most powerful Program in this system. I have an army at my beck and call. And - well - him." He gestured a hand casually.
Kairi whirled around, seeing Rinzler striding up the ramp to the upper floor.
"Your reasoning was flawed, User. You never had a chance at defeating me," Clu stated. "But I am intrigued by what you can do - how you came here. Especially with that weapon of yours. It's unlike anything I've seen in my time, and that's saying something, let me tell you. Rinzler: put on a good show for me, would you? But try not to derezz her - not just yet."
Kairi huffed, glaring at the armored man as he withdrew his twin energy discs, falling into his battle stance. Kairi took hers, gripping her weapon tighter.
"What happened to Cyl and Bitz?" Kairi called out.
Rinzler said nothing - simply staring at her with that shiny black visor.
Kairi threw out a hand with a cry, sending out triple Fira blasts. They swirled around each other and then separated, arcing outward before coming back in again for Rinzler. It wasn't the best she could have ever done - but after all the fighting just to get here, she was running worryingly low on magical reserves, honestly.
Rinzler threw himself into a high backflip - but the fireballs pursued him, accelerating. Rinzler raised a disc and slashed at one; it burst, and flames ran down his arm, burning away armor and revealing a glowing blue patch of...sinewy, connected strands of- of matter or something. His very insides? The inside of a "Program"? Rinzler flipped his discs in his hands, holding them with the faces horizontal. He threw one for the second fireball, then the other, for the third. The magic blasts struck and enveloped the discs - exploding in the air harmlessly.
Rinzler landed hard on the ground again, on bent knees. He looked up at the air - to see his discs break apart and fall to the ground, dematerializing.
"Hm..." Clu said, in a curious tone. He took casual steps off to the left, disappearing behind a short wall, then stepped back out again holding a black baton. He tossed it out at Rinzler - who caught it easily. The baton extended on both sides into a glowing, double-ended staff. With that done, Clu went and sat himself down on a chair, leisurely and relaxed, an arm resting on a knee. Like was watching a sports game.
Rinzler held the staff before him. Then he began to twirl it around his body, intricately and in a blur of motion and neon orange. He stopped abruptly, looking to Kairi.
"Not impressed," Kairi retorted to the silent challenge. "And I wasn't impressed by your little discs, either; I can do that too, you know!" She held her Keyblade up, focusing, and then split it apart into her twin hand fans, adopting a new combat stance.
Rinzler gave a low growl, his head tilting at the sight of her new weapons. Then he burst into motion, running at her, spinning his staff in front of him.
Kairi blocked and redirected, twirling around the man. She kicked him in the ribs, sending him stumbling. His whole body language read as surprised, in that moment, as he readjusted himself and faced her again.
He came at her again-
Kairi stepped back and swiped a fan, sending out a glowing green cyclone of wind magic. Another big hit to her magic reserves. It struck Rinzler, taking him up off his feet.
Rinzler spun around and around in the air as the cyclone carried him...and then it tossed him out, sending him flipping through the air to land on his side on the ground. He immediately twisted his body and flipped upright again, gazing at Kairi.
The man approached, this time, more slowly. Cautiously.
Kairi just waited for him, watching him, holding her fans before her.
Rinzler came at her with a high, jumping slash down. Kairi blocked and stepped back, then folded her other fan and thrust the stick forward, covering it in ice magic; the tip touched Rinzler's chest, and magic ice began to spread out across it, over his shoulders and arms. Rinzler disengaged, staring down at himself. He tried to move his upper body experimentally-
Kairi reverted her fans and leapt forward, slashing her Keyblade for the man instantly.
Rinzler avoided her attack by leaping back, just out of her range. He angled his staff inward and smacked it to his chest, holding it there. A hissing sound echoed, and the ice melted away and fell apart. He flexed his arms, shattering the rest. Freeing himself. Then he threw himself at her with a fury.
Kairi blocked his blow, then dodged as he came at her with the other end in an upward swing! He twirled and kicked her hard in the chest, sending her flying back. He pursued her, coming down with a great slash. Kairi rolled out of the way and kicked him in the ribs, staggering him. She was able to get to her feet again-
And then a heavy, powerful blow struck her in the back of the head.
Kairi flew forward, slamming down on her face, her Keyblade slipping from her grasp!
A heavy, hard boot kicked her in the sides, sending her flipping up into the air - and crashing back down again on her backside.
She stared up at the face of Clu...
He stepped back, and Rinzler took his place, slamming a boot down onto her midsection. The glowing end of Rinzler's staff was shoved in Kairi's face.
Clu had intervened...because she could have won, she realized vaguely. She could have beaten Rinzler - and then, maybe even beaten Clu himself...
Kairi's thoughts were interrupted by sudden, slow, heavy footsteps. She turned her head toward the ramp, and saw...someone she didn't recognize come striding up into view. Or, she did, but-
He looked like Clu, but...older, grey-bearded. Wearing black clothes and a hooded coat.
"Flynn!" Clu called out, giving a beaming smile that read as completely fake. He stepped forward, chuckling and spreading his arms (Kairi was completely forgotten now). "Good of you to join the party - but, where's your son? And the last ISO?"
The man, Flynn, stepped into the room, then stopped. He took in the sight of Rinzler, and Kairi. He looked confused and alarmed.
Clu noticed. His arms fell to his sides. "I can't believe that not only did you send me your son, but another User, too! And one with such remarkable abilities. And that fascinating weapon...I'd be interested to crack that code - figure out how it works." Putting word to actions, he stepped over to Kairi's Keyblade, and bent down and picked it up. He stared it over, up and down-
Kairi's weapon vanished in a flash, and reappeared in her grasp. Rinzler's gaze dropped to her in shock, then he shoved his staff under her chin, inches from her flesh.
Kairi wanted to just take a swing at the man, but- she also didn't want to move and get an energy staff shoved up into her skull...
And, she wasn't just magically running on empty, now. She was flat out tired, too...more tired than she'd realized. Damn you...stamina...
Flynn looked at Kairi in surprise (while Clu was staring at his own hand, curling his fingers with fascination). "You're human?"
Kairi gave a pained nod. "Y-yeah. Are you?"
Flynn nodded back. "Yeah..." he said, drawing the word out. "How did you end up-"
"It's a really, really long story..." Kairi wheezed out. "I don't feel like telling it at just this moment."
"Alright: fair enough." Flynn nodded. He raised his eyes to Rinzler, and his expression changed. Twisted into one of sorrow, grief. "Oh, Tron, what have you become..." he whispered.
"Wait- Tron?" Kairi gasped. "I thought he destroyed Tron?"
"He did," Flynn stated. "The moment he ceased to be the good man I knew, and became this...monster." His eyes narrowed at Clu as he took slow steps forward now. "I'd thought you killed him that day - but you didn't, did you? You repurposed him, corrupted him. Turned him against his friends, his allies. Everything he once stood for. Reduced him to this...I don't even know what this is."
"He serves a purpose again," Clu replied, dropping his hand to his side, suddenly focused again. Focused only on Flynn now. "He's protecting the Grid again - like he always has."
"This isn't protecting anything; this is death, and destruction," Flynn retorted. "It's oppression and injustice. Tron used to stand for peace, and freedom. Liberation." He paused, reaching up behind his back - and withdrawing a glowing blue disc. "And he can again - with this."
Clu cocked his head, frowning. "What is that...?"
"Tron's backup data," Flynn answered. "The core of his program - his memories - everything of the good man he used to be. I could always count on you to be methodical, couldn't I?"
Clu raised a hand - a finger - then he laughed, pointing at Flynn like it was the most hilarious joke. "Oh, man, I knew it! I knew that one would come back to bite me somehow! Great job, man!" His laughter vanished in an instant, all the humor suddenly just disappearing, replaced by a face of neutrality. "But, seriously, what do you think you're going to do here, Flynn? Just restore Rinzler to the way he was before? You? You're a lot of things, Flynn, but a fighter you are not. Rinzler will rip you apart."
"Yes," Flynn said, quiet and certain. "Even if it's the last thing I do today, I'm getting this disc onto that slot on his back - and I'm bringing back the good man, the friend, I once knew."
"And when you fail?" Clu said. "What then? What will happen to Sam, and that ISO? I'll be free to hunt them down at my leisure. So will Rinzler. And this time, we won't be taking any prisoners."
Flynn smirked at the other man. "Right, Sam and Quorra. They're probably already at the Portal by now - gone back to the real world. Any moment now, you'll be wiped from the face of this system with a keystroke."
Clu looked alarmed for a moment - but then he relaxed. He took an exaggerated look around, raising an arm. Then he laughed. "Hm. Well, until that happy time comes, I think I'm going to call your bluff, Flynn. Rinzler: destroy your old pal for me, why don't you."
Rinzler whipped his head up to look at Flynn. He stepped off of Kairi, retracting his weapon from her face. He strode past her, toward Flynn, his staff at his side...
Kairi stared past him, at Flynn. "Disc..." she mouthed, inching an arm across the floor and turning her palm up at him. She clenched her fingers, showing three.
Flynn gazed into her eyes, making no motion or sign that he understood her, or was on board with things.
Kairi had to take the chance anyways.
She counted her fingers down.
Three...
Two...
One.
Curaga! she screamed in her mind.
The healing magic roared through her body, restoring it instantly.
She leapt to her feet and raised her hand, while she shoved her other one forward, palm out.
Flynn cocked his arm back and hurled the disc high and fast.
Rinzler tracked its path, then spun around and ran at Kairi in an instant, his staff spinning angrily, singing through the air.
"Stop!" Kairi yelled out.
Rinzler didn't stop, of course.
She hadn't been telling him to.
Blue light flared in her palm, a wave of transparent energy rippling out in front of her, washing over Rinzler's body - draining the last of her magical reserves to nothing.
Rinzler froze, mid-stride - mid-weapon-raised-to-be slashed-into-her-neck.
Kairi caught the disc and lunged forward, twisted around Rinzler's body, raised the disc, and then slammed it into the circular slot on the back of his black suit.
The disc changed from blue to burning orange. It swirled and flickered, then faded to blackness completely. Then...it flared back to life, and the orange light morphed into a blue color again. As did the other lights on the man's suit and helmet.
"NO!" Clu roared in rage, lunging for Kairi.
Flynn moved in that moment, stepping forward and spreading his arms, a look of focus on his face.
A white light and energy rippled across the floor in a wave, erupting from his body and washing over Kairi, Tron, and Clu.
It was hot and powerful - a gusting wind.
Clu snarled and stared with wide eyes. He leaned back, then turned away, straining and groaning - as if fighting some invisible force or power. Then, slowly, he began to slide backwards across the floor, toward Flynn, as his body glowed orange, and began to flake apart, the pieces flowing backwards...straight into Flynn?
Kairi stared at the scene in shock.
"Get out of here, kid!" Flynn spoke to her, in strained tones. "Take Tron...and go! It's gonna be...one hell of an explosion!"
Kairi gazed at the man, panic and fear and sorrow filling her Heart. She looked to Rinzler- Tron, who was still just...standing there, frozen by her power, of course.
"GO!" Flynn insisted, louder, more sternly.
Kairi remained rooted for a moment more - and then she moved. She decided.
She seized Tron's arm and hauled him toward the glass window of the bridge. She raised her Keyblade and lashed out for it with a yell, causing a streak of energy to tear across it. A moment later, the glass exploded and crumbled away. Kairi took one last look back - and then she lifted off her feet in a hover, and flew out of the ship, straining to not drop the man with both hands.
She was barely keeping herself up, barely holding onto him, without magic or anything to help...
She flew out across the outer hull of the ship, dipping down and trying to put distance between her and the tower. Faster than she'd ever flown before, she thought. She really didn't know how big this supposed explosion was going to-
BOOM!
A massive white light erupted behind her, along with a wave of force and power that blew her out of the sky, sending her spiraling down to slam onto the ship's exterior.
She let go of Tron, bouncing and rolling away.
She lifted her head, seeing a huge white light and tendrils of energy stretching out in all directions...where the tower had once been.
A good portion of the middle of the ship looked eaten away at, too, by that energy. The ceiling, the curved walls. Edges were burned, revealing the huge hangar below...
Kairi gasped with pain and exhaustion, looking around for Tron...
He was laying a good distance away from her, flat on his back.
He was still in his frozen pose.
Kairi wondered how she was even going to get down from here, with Tron. She wondered whether Cyl and Bitz were okay. She...
Suddenly, the whole warship rocked beneath her, and a sputtering noise was heard.
The lights on the ship's hull dimmed, flickered, and then died completely.
And then the ship slowly began to careen forward, and down.
"No...no, no, no, NO!" Kairi breathed, straining to push herself to her feet again, one last time. "Come...on! COME ON! Beatrice!"
A huge puff of smoke, and Beatrice appeared to hover in front of her.
"Beatrice, we have to get out of here before it goes down - with us on it!" Kairi rushed out, stumbling forward.
Beatrice lowered herself down, turning, showing her back off to Kairi. Kairi did her best to grab and climb up, reaching the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around the horn. She looked to Tron, pointing. "Get him, too!"
Beatrice fluttered over to Tron's frozen form, then screeched out, sending rippling rings of purple energy at him. They washed over him, and then he was shrouded in a purple aura, and lifted up into the air. Tron flew in toward Beatrice, who crossed her arms to hug him to her chest.
"Yes - thank you! Now we have to get out of here. Down to the streets..."
Even as Kairi spoke, the ship began to plummet, faster and faster, falling away beneath her!
Fear and sadness threatened to overwhelm her, as she imagined Cyl and Bitz trapped inside, helpless, falling with it...
She closed her eyes and hugged Beatrice's horn, her throat clenched.
Soon, they were on the ground again.
Beatrice swooped down to an empty intersection, and let Tron down gently.
Kairi slid down off her back, onto her shaking feet again.
She looked at Tron, then up at the falling warship.
It disappeared from sight, beyond the tall towers.
Several tense, silent moments passed-
And then she heard a world-shaking crash, and saw a blue light flare in the distance, shining down the streets.
Kairi turned and stumbled to Tron, falling to her knees beside him.
She stared down at him, wondering if Flynn's disc backup had even worked...
What if he woke up and was still Rinzler? He'd destroy her, no contest, now...
As Kairi watched the man, she saw the blue light flare, and his arms and legs fell back onto the ground. He was free now.
The man turned his head, staring at her with that faceless, reflective visor. He slowly sat up, like a rising specter.
"Please tell me you're Tron, not Rinzler..." Kairi sighed. "But if you are still Rinzler, just...just do it. I won't be able to fight, or get away this time..."
The man tilted his head at her. A low, short growling noise emerged...and then-
"I fight for the Users," came that distorted voice, in a markedly different tone from before.
It wasn't menacing, or dangerous. It was determined, resolved. It was...
"What...is your name?" Kairi asked quietly.
"My name...is Tron."
Kairi sighed the biggest sigh she'd ever sighed in all her life. She fell back onto the ground, laughing loudly.
"What's wrong, User?"
"It's...it's Kairi. And I'm just- so, so relieved you're not going to kill me."
Tron looked at her. Then, down at the active staff weapon still in his grasp. It wasn't orange anymore, Kairi suddenly noticed: it had turned blue. Next moment, the staff retracted into itself, and Tron seemed to magnetically attach it to his leg.
The man looked back at her again. "Kairi...you are a friend of Flynn's?"
"No, I- I didn't know him," Kairi stammered. "But...he seemed like a good man. He- he sacrificed himself...for me. For you. Both of us."
"Yes..." that distorted voice came again. "Flynn was good."
"Listen - Tron - I-"
"What is that Program?" Tron spoke, his head tilting back. His gaze going to Beatrice, clearly.
"Uh - that's Beatrice. She's not a- Program. She's a...sort of a pet. That I created. It's- a long story."
"A User-created Program, made to assist."
"No- well- sure," Kairi sighed, smiling. "If that's the easiest way for you to understand it."
"I've seen nothing like her before," Tron went on. "You are a User, but different from Flynn. Your creations are different from his."
"Yeah, I guess they are. I couldn't have...even imagined a world like this one. Your Grid. It's amazing. A little dark and stormy, but...amazing."
"Flynn wanted this system to have a weather cycle, mirroring the User world," Tron stated. "He wanted us...to experience existence as Users do."
"That's really-"
Suddenly a wooshing noise was heard, and a high droning sound.
An orange neon ship with wings came swooping down the street.
Tron leapt up, stepping in front of Kairi and falling into that familiar battle stance, his weapons ready.
The ship set down - a little elevator platform came down from its underbelly - and Cyl and Bitz came stepping out.
Kairi groaned, climbing to her feet with all she had left. "Nobody- fight each other! He's not- Rinzler anymore- he's Tron! Flynn - I saw him - backup disc...put him back to normal."
Cyl and Bitz froze, staring at her. Then at Tron.
"He's Tron...?" Bitz rasped.
"He is," Kairi said firmly. "He was- repurposed? Changed. Corrupted. But he's back to being himself again, thanks to Flynn."
"You saw the Creator? Where is he? What happened?" Cyl asked.
"He...sacrificed himself...for me and Tron. To save us. I think- him and Clu both- they're gone now," Kairi whispered.
Cyl looked distraught. She looked at the ground, putting her hands together at her waist. "The Creator gave his life...for us...?"
"For him?" Bitz said, looking at Tron still.
"Yes. For Tron," Kairi confirmed.
"He's really him?" Bitz pressed.
"I am," Tron spoke for himself, simple, quiet. He hesitated, his gaze moving between Bitz and Cyl. "I wasn't myself. I...I'm sorry for the damage I caused you. All of you. I couldn't...stop myself..."
Bitz's face changed. She gave a thin smile, and a nod. "Apology accepted."
"Cyl?" Kairi said hesitantly, eyeing the green-haired woman.
Cyl looked up, her face still swimming in sadness. She sighed, shaking her head. "If you are Tron...it's good to have you back. You were our hero."
"I was..." Tron agreed, a note of sadness to his distorted, flanging voice. "With Clu gone, I would like to be again. To stand for what I used to - peace and freedom. To restore the system to what it once was, to what Flynn envisioned it could be...for all of us."
"That's going to take a lot of work," Cyl said. "From everyone."
"I-" Kairi began to speak.
But a light in the sky stopped her. A familiar Keyhole appeared above them, the air shattering, lights ringing the golden keyhole.
"What is that?" Bitz exclaimed, staring.
"It's just- my way out of here!" Kairi said quickly, raising a hand.
"A Portal?" Cyl said. "To the User world?"
"To another world, yes," Kairi hedged, sighing. "It means I have to go. These don't exactly stay open forever, I don't think..."
"Go, Kairi," Tron said, in a surprisingly gentle tone for that same, distorted voice. "Return to the User World. We will be fine here."
Kairi stared at the masked man. She looked at Cyl, at Bitz...
"I'll find a way to come back for a visit sometime," she said firmly. She meant it, with all her Heart.
She would.
She'd find this world again, sleeping or not.
"We'd welcome that," Cyl said warmly.
"Definitely," Bitz agreed.
Kairi nodded. She hesitated, then gave Tron a pat on the arm before turning away, summoning and raising her Keyblade to the sky...
As light enveloped her, she heard Tron's voice again.
"Thank you."
