Onto the last chapter here in Traverse Town. Will our heroes get the rest of Wonderland restarted? Will they stop Sephiroth? Let's find out!
Enjoy!
Fountain Plaza:
The group made their way out of the back alleyways and into the Fountain Plaza.
"How are the pieces looking, Zack?" Hayner asked.
Zack checked the bag. "Safe as three little pigs in a brick house." he said.
"I wonder what enemies we're going to run into next." Alice hummed.
"It's sad that we can think that." Hayner muttered.
As they gazed around, they began to hear footsteps.
"Looks like we're about to find out!" Pence gasped.
At that moment, Nobodies appeared in front of them. There were Dragoons, Assassins, Dancers, and Ninjas.
"Yep! Found out!" Hayner said as he summoned Phantom Green.
Pence and Olette quickly summoned Midnight Blue and Dawn Till Dusk.
Zack drew his sword and Alice held up the lead pipe.
"If they're here, there must be a piece of Wonderland here!" said Zack.
"Then let's swipe these guys left!" Olette smirked.
(Piccolo vs Frost Music - Antagonistic Battle plays)
Mission: Defeat the Nobodies
Party Members:
Hayner
Pence
Olette
Zack
Alice
Hayner led the attack as he swiped at some Assassins, dodging from their stabs. As he used Fission Firaga on them, the Assassins' used their Continuous Reaper moves to swipe him off his feet. Hayner used Zero Gravity to keep them at bay and then casted Double Thundaga to destroy them. But then Ninjas attacked him with their Rolling Glide moves, spinning around and striking him from all directions. Hayner rolled out of the way and jumped up to his feet. He slashed at the Ninjas and then used Crawling Fire to obliterate them into light and ash.
Pence fired a series of Water spells to hold back some Dancers. They managed to dodge the spells and then performed their Low-Spin Dance moves, kicking him in the face, stomach, back, and cranium. Pence casted Curaga on himself and charged at the Nobodies as he slashed them, followed by using a Tornado Tracer spell to blow them away, making them crash into the ground. After he fought them, Pence took on some more Assassins. But the Nobodies suddenly emerged from the ground and used their Cut Off move, swiping him in the legs from below. Pence used a Bind spell to hold them at bay before he slashed them all around and then fired Raging Storm to destroy them.
Zack clashed blades with two Dragoons and their lances. The spiky-haired swordsman ducked from their slashes and jumped backwards. The Dragoons unleashed their Spinning Swing move, their lances against Zack, slashing him. Zack retaliated by performing Blade Beam, releasing a shockwave that knocked the Nobodies backwards. Zack charged at them and slashed the Nobodies until they were gone. Zack was suddenly ambushed by Dancer Nobodies, doing their Nose-Dive Dance moves, kicking Zack in the face before he ended up falling over with bruises. Clutching his sword, Zack jumped back up and slashed them back. Dodging their Nose-Dove Dances once more, Zack performed his True Climhazzard move, jumping high with his sword in the air and then bringing it down to create another shockwave to blow them away.
Olette casted Flower Shoot to blind some Ninjas, allowing her to run in and slash them with her Keyblade. The brunette then charged at them, but had to dodge their Reverse Thunder moves. But she missed one as she got electrocuted and the Ninja charged at her. Quickly thinking, Olette used Exo Spark to electrocute them back and then casted Warp to destroy them. But this distraction allowed more Dragoons to attack her. They executed their Jump moves as they fell over Olette's head. Olette got up, shook herself off, and fired orbs of light to stun the Dragoons and then performed Thunder Tracer to finish them.
Alice tried her best against some more Dancers, whacking them with the lead pipe against their faces. Alice was then ambushed by their Swing Toss move; grabbing Alice and throwing her across the plaza grounds. Alice tried to dust herself off and ran back at the Nobodies, bashing them with the lead pipe and even trying to jam it in their faces. Alice thought she had the advantage, only for more Assassin tentacles to emerge from the ground, sweeping at Alice's feet off her feet. Alice got back up and jumped to avoid getting knocked over again. She bashed the Assassins with the lead pipe, aiming for the heads, as well as whacking their segmented arms.
Coming together, Hayner, Pence, and Olette gathered together and held their Keyblades up, performing a Trinity Limit that enveloped the last of the Nobodies in light, destroying them.
(Piccolo vs Frost Music - Antagonistic Battle ends)
With the Nobodies gone, Olette casted Curaga on everyone.
"Finally! Another battle is done!" Alice said in relief.
"Look!" said Pence, pointing near the entrance back to the back streets. "Another chest!"
Looking in Pence's direction, Olette ran towards the chest and tapped it with her Keyblade. Another piece of Wonderland flew out of the chest into the air.
Alice and Zack ran over and the former examined it.
"My goodness it's the Tea Party Garden!" Alice gasped.
"Where the Mad Hatter likes to have his tea parties without mustard, I imagine." joked Zack, bagging the piece of the world.
"How many more pieces of Wonderland you think are left now?" asked Pence.
"Hopefully not too many left." replied Zack. "Come on, there's one more district to check out. Follow me."
And the young swordsman walked on, Alice and the Twilight Trio following close behind.
Fifth District:
Eventually, the group of five made their way into the Fifth District, the trio looking around in awe. The buildings were all colorful with the indoor lights shining brightly. And in the center of the whole district was the garden, a three-story building filled with plants of all kind.
"Wow… this place is so bright and beautiful!" Olette said as she looked around from left to right.
"Yeah, this has more colors than a Van Gough painting." Pence commented.
"This does remind me of the whimsical scenery that is Wonderland." Alice reminisced.
"Maybe it's a sign that another piece is here." joked Hayner.
Suddenly, they heard a commotion coming from the garden building.
"I think you're right, Pence!" saud Hayner. "Come on!"
The group ran for the garden as Hayner burst through the doors.
Inside was another chest guard by Heartless. There were Minute Bombs, Magic Popcats, Luna Bandits, and Water Cores.
"Look! Another chest!" said Pence, summoning Midnight Blue.
"Alright you creeps, leave the chest alone and come quietly!" said Zack, drawing his sword.
The Heartless charged at them.
"I don't think they're gonna do that, Zack!" said Olette, summoning Dawn Till Dusk.
"Yeah? Neither are we!" snarled Hayner, summoning Phantom Green.
"Let's get it!" said Alice, drawing her lead pipe in determination.
(Dark Baymax Boss Fight from Kingdom Hearts III plays)
Mission: Defeat the Heartless
Party Members:
Hayner
Pence
Olette
Zack
Alice
Hayner was the first to fight as he took on some Water Cores. The floating Heartless fired some Water Shots at him. Hayner swung his Keyblade around to knock away the water projectiles and slash them. Hayner then used a Double Firaga spell to finish them. Hayner then moved onto the Minute Bombs, only for them to fly into him like regular bullets. Hayner was knocked onto his back, but brought his Keyblade up to them and fired Time Bomb, which exploded upon impact, killing them.
Pence clashed blades with a few Luna Bandits while trying not to get cut and slashed. One jumped onto Pence's back and tried to slit his throat, but Pence backfisted it in the face and it fell off. Pence casted Fission Firaga to destroy them. But then, more Water Cores attacked him with Water Upper moves, pillars of water knocking Pence into the air. Pence landed on his feet and used Zero Gravity to knock them backwards and then he slashed them away.
Olette charged at some Magic Pobcats, casting Raging Storm to destroy them. But some had dodged the spell and attacked Olette back with Giant Claw Scratches, scathing Olette. Quickly, the female brunette of the group rolled out of the way of anymore attacks, casted Curaga on herself, and then fired Icicle Mine to destroy them. Olette then charged at some more Luna Bandits, dodging their Aerial Spin Slashes by launching herself over them with a Gravity spell. Olette casted Flower Shoot from above to wound them and then slashed them all to death with one swing.
Alice bashed her lead pipe into some Minute Bombs with ease and then swung it into another one's face. But then then, some of them Self-Destructed, exploding and sending Alice flying into the plants. Alice got back up, bushed herself off, and swung the lead pipe like a baseball bat, knocking into three Minute Bombs at once, sending them crashing into the wall. She then dodged some more Magic Pobcats' claws by ducking. When they launched small pots at her, Alice smashed them with ease with her pipe and then bashed them right back.
Zack took on some more Luna Bandits as they clashed blades. His armor protected him from getting cut. Fending off three of the Luna Bandits at once, Zack performed his Continuous Slash move, slashing one Luna Bandit vertically, one horizontally, and one in a jump slash. Zack then charged at more Water Cores, only for them to use Wave attack against him, causing him to be knocked against the ground. Zack jumped back up and performed his Avenger Tornado move, swinging his sword around and jumping up to unleash a tornado attack that killed the Water Cores.
"Agh, these things are coming at us from every corner of the garden!" Zack yelled, stabbing a Minute Bomb through the noggin.
Alice yelped and ducked from a Luna Bandit's moon-shaped sword. "Does anyone have any other ideas to help us get rid of these creatures!?" Alice yelled.
Olette then remembered the summon charm she had. She took it out and held it up.
"Give me strength!" Olette yelled.
In a flash of light appeared Kenai the human-turned-bear.
Kenai was a medium-sized brown bear with light brown fur and brown eyes.
"Alright! Let's do this!" Kenai said as Olette jumped on his back.
With a roar, Kenai charged at the Heartless. He thrashed them with his claws, send them flying backwards. He then jumped into the air and stomped onto the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked more of them over. Kenai then roared loudly, loud enough to knock more away. As he did, Olette defended Kenai by slashing away any Heartless attacking from the side.
"Spirits guide me!" Kenai yelled as he jumped into the air, revealing a bear totem wrapped around his neck like a necklace that glowed.
Then in a glow of yellow light, Kenai transformed into a short, thin young man with tanned skin, semi-long jet black hair, and brown eyes. He was also holding a spear.
Back to back, Olette and Kenai slashed away any more Heartless jumping at them. Dragging his spear against the ground, Kenai leapt up into the air and then slammed it into the spear into the ground, knocking the Heartless away.
"May your power help us!" Kenai said as the yellow glow returned, swirling around him.
Kenai turned back into a bear and flew down, coated in the spirits' light, which also formed an eagle. Kenai slammed into the last of the Heartless and unleashed a powerful roar that engulfed them in the light of the spirits that destroyed them, ending the battle.
(Dark Baymax Boss Fight from Kingdom Hearts III ends)
When the light settled, Kenai and the spirits were gone and the Heartless were destroyed. Olette casted Curaga on everyone.
"Finally! They're gone…" said Alice, catching her breath. "Now let's open that chest, shall we?"
"I got it!" said Hayner, running over to the chest. He tapped it with his Keyblade and it opened up, revealing another world fragment.
Alice ran over and examined it.
"It's the Rabbit Hole!" Alice said happily.
Zack ran over and scooped it up with the Acme bag.
Suddenly, the world fragments in the bag began to fly out of the bag and swirl around together, taking everyone aback.
"Whoa, what's happening to those fragments?" Pence asked.
"I think we found them all and they're coming together!" gasped Zack.
And Zack was right. The fragments of Wonderland began to merge together before they flew out through the doors of the garden and into the sky.
"You think it's being restored?" Alice asked, hopefully.
"Let's go outside and see!" said Olette.
Suddenly the doors burst open, making everyone jump. And there, standing with his Masamune drawn, was Sephiroth. He was wearing his Organization XIII cloak. He smirked up at the group, his gold, Norted, cat-like eyes shining eerily.
"Sephiroth!" Zack gasped.
"Zack. Kids from Twilight Town. Former Princess of Heart." Sephiroth said eerily, slowly making his way inside. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. And how long has it been for you travelers? The remains of the Avengers' Compound after Sora killed Thanos from the past? It has been quite the time period."
Zack snarled. "You got some nerve showing your ugly face around here!" he sneered. "Was destroying Wonderland not enough for you bastards!?"
Sephiroth snorted in amusement. "That wasn't even one of our agendas. A happy accident is a better way to call it. And yet, you all managed to find all the pieces and fix it up. I'd commend you for it if I wasn't here on a personal matter."
"And what's that? Alice?" scowled Pence. "You're not going anywhere near her!"
"None of you monsters are laying one finger on our friend!" Hayner said firmly, holding an arm out to keep Alice behind him.
"How nice of you to try and protect her." Sephiroth mused. "But you don't have a choice. If the New 7 Hearts aren't brought together, the old ones must be used as back up-"
"Oh, we know your mumbo jumbo reason!" Hayner cut in, glaring. "And we won't let you get anywhere near them! We stopped Dark Riku and Terra's evil self from the past and we can stop you too!"
The swordsman was amused. "You really think between the five of you, you can take on someone like me? Terra's past possessed self may have experience being a Keyblade wielder the longest, and like the present version of that replica, Dark Riku has potential to be the only Riku standing. But me? I'm much more different. I've been around for a long time and have been fighting for just as long. I am practically pure darkness at this point."
"To think I once thought of you as a hero." Zack scowled. "But you're nothing more than a selfish, insane, power-hungry psycho!"
"I'm just following my destiny." Sephiroth said dismissively. "You and Cloud were simply in my way. Same for the likes of Angeal, Genesis, that committee, and everyone working under Shinra."
"And that destiny is being a part of Organization XIII?!" Olette yelled.
Sephiroth put his hand to his heart. "Gaining a piece of Xehanort's heart and becoming a Seeker of Darkness was a smart decision on my part, and an offer I could not refuse," he said. "My power is greater than ever. And with Master Xehanort's help, I will finally achieve my true power. But to do that, I just help him. And Alice is needed for his plans."
Alice was terrified. "No! Oh please, no! I do not want to be used for such evil again!" she cried.
"You don't have a choice, young lady." Sephiroth sneered. "My power outmatches all of yours by every level possible. Alice will be property of Organization XIII… and the rest of you will DIE!"
Sephiroth swung his Masamune in a Supernova Explosion, the shockwave knocking into the heroes. But Zack had seen this coming and had jumped into the air and landed closer to the one-winged villain while Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Alice were knocked back into the garden plants.
"Hmm. Smart boy." Sephiroth smirked.
"I've fought against you before!" Zack snarled. "I'd say it's time for a proper rematch, you son of a bitch!"
"Proper rematch? Very well then." Sephiroth smirked, readying his sword. "But you do know you won't survive. You couldn't stop me when I dragged you from Olympus Coliseum to the Realm of Darkness years ago."
"I've trained a lot more since then," Zack retorted. "And once my friends recover we are taking you down to the bone!"
(One-Winged Angel from FINAL FANTASY VII plays)
Mission: Fight Sephiroth and buy your friends time to recover
Party Member:
Zack
"Prepare yourself!" Sephiroth yelled as he and Zack and charged at each other and clashed swords.
Sephiroth then tried to slice Zack's head, but the young swordsman ducked and jumped backwards. Sephiroth jumped high and swung his blade at Zack in his Wild Dance move. Zack was slashed across his arms and armor and then jumped up to slash the evil swordsman back with his Continuous Slash move.
"Meet your fate!" Sephiroth growled and shoved Zack off, flying high and summoning meteorites to spin around himself in his Supernova Meteor move before sending them flying at Zack. Zack quickly dodged them and charged back at Sephiroth and used his Blade Beam move to strike him back. The two clashed swords once again as Zack kicked the long-haired villain in the neck before he jumped back down to the ground. Sephiroth sneered and summoned a Firaga Wall, pillars of fire surrounding him. He sent them forward at Zack, who rolled out of the way before he casted Meteor himself, 8 meteorites flying at Sephiroth, who slashed them out of the way.
"Know your place!" Sephiroth shouted as he suddenly warped closer to Zack, and performed his Aerial Cut Combo, knocking Zack into the air with a kiri-age, then slashed him four more times. Zack landed on the ground, but he quickly got up, jumped back into the air, and then performed his True Climhazzard move, diving down into the ground as he stabbed his sword into it, sending a shockwave that blew Sephiroth back.
Sephiroth sneered as he jumped back at Zack in his Spin Attack move, spinning like a drill. Zack blocked his attack, but was pushed back on his feet against the ground. Both swordsmen clashed blades three times before Sephiroth used his Shadow Flare move to summon orbs of pale light and flung them at Zack.
"That is true power!" he taunted.
Zack used his Blade Beam move to deflect them and send them back. Sephiroth slashed them away and then flew back at Zack, clashing blades with him. Zack did his best to hold him back and shoved Sephiroth off as the long-haired swordsman flew behind him. Sephiroth moved at high speed swinging his sword to slash Zack. Zack jumped back into the air and summoned 8 more meteorites that smashed down against him, bringing him down to the ground. Zack then performed his Blade Beam move again to send him flying backwards.
Zack panted to catch his breath as Sephiroth flew back into the air.
"I must say, Zachary Fair… you have managed to hold your own against me…" he mused. "You really have gotten stronger since your capture."
He swiped his hand across the top of his Masamune.
"But not strong enough…" he smirked.
"I'm… not… done… yet…" Zack panted.
Sephiroth chuckled with a shake of his head. "Still a fool to the end. No matter. I think I'll end you in a different way."
Sephiroth had his Masamune float behind him and then suddenly summoned his One-Winged Devil Keyblade. Zack was shocked.
"What the hell?! Y-You have a Keyblade?!" he shouted.
"With a piece of Xehanort's heart in mine, I do." Sephiroth smirked. "I call it the One-Winged Devil."
"Named it after what you are? What a fucking shocker." Zack sneered sarcastically.
"Mock at your peril, boy." Sephiroth said, gripping his Keyblade. "I was hoping to kill the likes of Cloud with this… but how can I pass this up?"
He suddenly flew at Zack. But before he could do anything, a Triple Firaga spell struck Sephiroth, sending him flying backwards.
Zack was surprised to see Hayner standing beside him, recovered and steam rising from his Keyblade.
"Not on our watch, you one-winged freak!" Hayner said as Pence and Olette joined him, their Keyblades drawn as well.
Sephiroth grunted as he got back up. "So you recovered, hmm? No matter. Just more for me to kill…"
"You may be a powerful swordsman with a large, menacing wing, but we won't let you take Alice for your evil deeds!" Pence said firmly.
"You are out of your mind, boy." Sephiroth huffed. "You were lucky against my comrades in darkness. But as I said, I'm not like them. I'm very powerful."
"We'll still try! Because it's our job to defend the light from evildoers like you!" Olette snapped back. "We haven't given up now and we aren't gonna stop now!"
Sephiroth shook his head in amusement. "You really are fools for trying to take on me. You four won't stand a chance…"
And then, to their surprise, Alice came up beside them.
"Correction… there are five of us…" she said firmly.
"Alice, what are you doing?" Olette asked in shock.
"You four went out of your way to protect me and save a world." Alice said. "And I am not going anywhere with this-this… this monstrosity! I'm done playing the victim!"
The regular fighters were impressed.
"Way to see you step further out of your comfort zone, Alice." said Pence.
"And unfortunately… it will be your undoing." Sephiroth said, raising his Keyblade.
Then, Alice began to feel something in her arm.
"Alice? You okay?" Zack asked.
"I feel an odd sensation in my arm." the young blonde-haired girl replied.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light. And in Alice's hand… was a Keyblade!
The guard's pattern were clubs that were a yellow and orange-brown checkered pattern, and the pommel was a diamond with a slightly darker version of the same pattern. The handle and blade with a pink highlight. The rest of the guard was a purple and red horseshoe shape with curled ends. The blade was tipped with a large, orange heart with a thin, red and yellow border. The teeth of the Keyblade consisted of a large, red spade with an angled base. The Keychain was silver, and its token was an Ace of Hearts card.
Alice was shocked. "Oh my goodness gracious! Is that a…?!" she gasped.
"It's a Keyblade!" gasped Zack.
"Guess that means Wonderland chose you to be it's protector… or whatever world you originally come from." Hayner said.
"How do I use it?" Alice asked.
"Call to it. That's what we learned to do when we got ours for the first time." Olette told her.
"None of that will matter." Sephiroth said. "It is time to destroy you four 'Guardians of Light' and take the Princess of Heart with me."
"Not on your life, Sephiroth!" Hayner scowled as he and his friends got into fighting positions.
Mission: Defeat Sephiroth together
Party Members:
Hayner
Pence
Olette
Zack
Alice
"Show me your strength!" Sephiroth yelled, charging into battle.
The one-winged villain jumped diagonally towards them and began to spin like a drill. Hayner quickly used Raging Storm to block the attack. Olette tried to cover him with a Blizzaga spell, but Sephiroth struck her back with a Deep Freeze spell. Zack came to the rescue as he summoned more meteorites that struck Sephiroth, sending him flying backwards. Alice tried firing Fire spells at him, but while some hit Sephiroth, he flew back and casted Shadow Flare, sending pale blue spheres that flew at her. An unfrozen Olette came to her rescue by using Tornado Tracer to blow the orbs away and then she charged forward, casting Flower Shoot that struck Sephiroth. Pence followed her side by using Fission Firaga. Sephiroth growled as he flew back up and casted Thundaga Shot that knocked the group backwards. He then warped closer to Alice and was about to slash her with his Cut Combo, but Hayner struck him back with Crawling Fire. Using this distraction, Alice called to a Water spell to hold him back. Zack then came running back and slashed Sephiroth around with his Continuous Slash move.
"Descend… heartless angel." Sephiroth chanted.
Halos suddenly appeared over the five's heads, weakening them. Sephiroth then casted Dark Firaga spells that crashed into the group, sending them back into the plants. Pence jumped back up and tried to use Cyclone to hold him back. Sephiroth was unaffected and prepared to cast Fission Firaga, but Hayner blasted him back with Double Thundaga. Gritting his teeth, Sephiroth unleashed an Explosion Supernova whose energy exploded, sending the boys backwards. Zack charged back at his fellow swordsman and slashed him around with said sword, only to get struck backwards by an Ice Barrage spell casted by the one-winged villain. Alice snuck up behind Sephiroth and slashed him across his back and wing. Sephiroth tried to slash her across the face, but he was met with a Thunder spell to the face. Sephiroth flew into the air and casted a Meteor spell with his Keyblade, forcing everyone to duck and cover. Olette casted Balloonga, the spell exploding around Sephiroth and knocking him to the ground.
He quickly got back up and yelled, "All shall be one with me!"
Sephiroth summoned his Firaga Wall and ran at the group of five. Alice tried to use Water and Ice spells to put the fiery magic out, but it was no use as Sephiroth attacked her with his Wild Dance move, swinging his blade at her. But Pence came to the rescue as he tried to use Magnet to get the Masamune away from him, but Sephiroth held on tight as he casted Quake against Pence. But Hayner attacked from above as he unleashed Exo Spark to electrocute him. Olette then backed up her friend by slashing Sephiroth with her Keyblade and then firing Triple Plasma, knocking him back. The silver-haired swordsman used his Swift Strike move on Olette, slashing her once before she was struck 13 more times. Sephiroth then fired Mega Flare at the brunette, sending her hurtling backwards. Zack jumped back behind Sephiroth and dove down, performing his True Climhazzard as he struck his sword into the ground, sending a shockwave that hit Sephiroth and sent him hurtling into the plants.
"We got him! Let's finish this!" Zack yelled.
Sephiroth snarled as he got back up ready to strike again, but Alice called to a Thunder spell to temporarily hold him back. Hayner used this opportunity to fire orbs of light at Sephiroth and then he casted Pulse Tracer to electrocute the one-winged evildoer with a wave of lightning bolts. Zack charged back with a Reverse Omnislash move, releasing his fighting spirit, warp slashing Sephiroth 11 times, then up, down, and then having his fighting spirit strike him all around. Pence took on the discombobulated swordsman by casting Raging Storm, the three flame pillars wounding Sephiroth even more. Olette then quickly jumped up and casted Transcedence, trapping Sephiroth in an anti-gravity field and struck him all around before he was sent hurtling into the garden wall.
(One-Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII ends)
Everyone panted hard as Olette managed to cast Curaga on themselves.
Sephiroth slowly began to get up.
"This… isn't… over…" he panted, glaring coldly at the group.
"Maybe not the war, but this little tiff is." Olette retorted, casting a Meteor spell that landing on top of Sephiroth, kncoking him out cold.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" said Alice.
The group began to run out of the garden when suddenly, the whole building began to glow.
"You guys go, I'll catch up!" Olette said.
The boys and Alice nodded as they ran ahead. Thankfully, Olette hadn't dismissed Dawn Till Dusk. She held it out in front of her as a crown emblem appeared under her feet. The garden building shot a beam of light into the sky, revealing a keyhole. Olette aimed Dawn Till Dusk at it and a beam of light shot out into the keyhole as a locking sound was heard. She then looked back inside and saw that Sephiroth had disappeared.
"Guess he decided to flee the coup." Olette said as she dismissed her Keyblade.
First District:
Snow White, Florian, Aurora, Phillip, and the seven dwarves had just got back from exploring the shops and stands.
"I must say, for a town that always has night skies, it does feel quite homely." Happy commented.
"Heh. Could be brighter," Grumpy humphed.
"This place is already making me sleepy." yawned Sleepy.
"How long have our friends been gone for?" asked Snow White.
Aurora glanced at a street clock. "Hmm… if I remember from when we landed, it's been over 3 hours."
"I hope they haven't gotten into any trouble." Snow White said worriedly.
"There they are!" said Florian, pointing.
Hayner, Pence, Olette, Alice, and Zack came running in.
"Oh good! You all are still here!" Pence said in relief.
"Is everything alright? You all look exhausted." Aurora said.
"It's a long story." Hayner said. "Point is, world is safe, the bad guy is defeated, and we found another former Princess of Heart!"
Alice stepped forward with a surprised gasp. "Aurora?! Snow White?!"
"Alice!" the two princesses gasped in unison.
"My goodness you haven't changed a bit!" Snow White exclaimed.
"Why are you in Traverse Town?" Aurora questioned.
"I was in my world and accidentally stumbled down into Wonderland when it was destroyed." Alice said. "I sought shelter here, met up with Zack, walked and played with one hundred and one Dalmatians, helped free the pieces of Wonderland from chests, and now I wield a Keyblade."
"My my my, that is quite the adventure you've been on young lady." Doc commented.
"So is Wonderland okay now?" Phillip quizzed.
Pence suddenly came out of the Gummiship. "Here we go! Cid's World Watching Telescope." he said. "Guess he forgot to take this out of the glove compartment near the mini coffee maker I just discovered."
Pence used it to look up to the skies, trying to find the area where he and his friends saw Wonderland rise.
And sure enough, he found it. The residents of Wonderland were all doing their own thing.
The Time Rabbit was rushing to make it to his destination on time.
The Mad Hatter was having a tea party with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum in attendance.
The King and Queen Of Hearts directed their card soldiers across their kingdom, the roses being actual red this time. Not painted.
"They seemed to be going about their tasks like nothing happened." Pence commented.
"They are?" Alice asked.
Pence handed her the telescope and Alice took it, the headband-wearing teen directing her to where Wonderland was.
"Oh my stars, they are." Alice said in astonishment, handing the telescope back.
"How did they not realize their whole world was temporarily destroyed?" wondered Olette.
"Maybe they were unconscious." Snow White suggested.
"Or in a deep sleep." Aurora piped up.
"Or they're just as crazy as their world is." Hayner shrugged, only yo get elbowed by Olette who sent him a look. "What? You tell me I'm wrong!"
"Well now that both Wonderland and Traverse Town are safe, I think we can get going!" Zack said.
"Before we do, you might be a target again, Alice." Olette said to the youngest lady. "We can offer you protection."
"And you're also the chosen protector of your home world and maybe even Wonderland too." Hayner added.
"And we can help you learn how to use that Keyblade. If you wanna join our Army of Light and stop the new league of villains we're all fighting." Pence chimed in.
Alice thought for a moment. This was an unexpected thing for her, pretty much on the same level as when she first fell into Wonderland.
"Well… I know this all new and sudden… but I'd rather not be a victim or captive ever again. I'll do it!" Alice firmly replied.
"Nice to see you so confident!" Zack smiled.
"Gotta admire her spirit." Sneezy said to Dopey, who nodded rapidly.
"Welcome to the team!" Aurora said kindly.
"Come on, hop on the Gummiship and we'll sail back to Radiant Garden." Olette said.
"We'll give Cid his ship back, portal to Disney Castle, and then portal a second time to the Secret Forest." Pence added.
"I'll drive!" Hayner said.
"Oh by the way, Mr. Hayner sir." said Happy. "While we were in the shops, we found something that you might find useful."
"Oh yes! A tighty minket, er, a mighty trinket!" Doc said, handing Hayner something.
It was a another summon charm. This one had a purple-pinkish background with what looked like ten circular orbs colored yellow, blue, purple, green, red, orange, aquamarine, pink, dark periwinkle, and brownish-beige.
"Huh. Never seen this before." Hayner commented as he examined it. "And I've seen Sora's summon charms and the cards from his first adventure."
"Eh, we'll figure it out later." said Pence. "Come on, we have a Gummiship to return and an army to increase."
And one by one the sixteen members boarded the Gummiship.
"By the way, what's your name?" Snow White asked as she followed Zack into the Gummiship.
"Zack Fair, my good maiden." Zack said politely as he boarded.
"Should I worry about the Dalmatians?" Alice asked, looking back.
"I'm sure their owners will be back soon. And I think they can take care of themselves." Pence said as he boarded.
Once they were all on board, Hayner got into thr pilot's seat, Pence in the co-pilot's seat, and Olette in the weapon's chair. Hayner started the ship up and the Gummiship sailed into the sky and away from the special world of Traverse Town.
Castle That Never Was, Grey Room:
Maleficent watched in disbelief at what she had seen. Anger spiked in the fairy. She would not let being defeated by three wannabe teenagers with Keyblades.
"No! It cannot be!" Maleficent shouted as dark magic swirled around her.
Maleficent was consumed by dark magic as she flew out of the castle, out of the World That Never Was into the Lanes-In-Between.
Back at the Gummiship, the radar beeped.
"What does that sound mean?" Alice questioned.
"Radiant Garden is in sight!" Hayner grinned. "We'll be in the Secret Forest in no time!"
"And you will be protected by its magic." promised Olette. "No Seeker of Darkness or villain from a rogue gallery will get anywhere near you."
"We appreciate your hospitality and protection." Aurora smiled.
"And I can't wait to meet new friends!" Happy added.
Sleepy yawned. "Wake me up when we land…" he said as he began to doze off.
Snow White then spotted something to the left. "Oh my, what is that?" she asked.
"Probably just the constellation, Orion." Hayner said, pressing some buttons.
"No, it looks like… a ball of light moving across the stars." Snow White said, looking closer.
"It's probably a comet." Olette said. "No big deal Snow-"
CRASH!
It wasn't a comet. It was a dark swirl of magic that crashed into the Gummiship, sending it hurtling across the Lanes-In-Between.
Everyone in the cockpit screamed as they were bounced around like peas in a frying pan.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Sneezy screamed.
"WE'VE BEEN HIT!" Pence yelled.
"WE'RE OUTTA CONTROL!" Zack yelled.
"STOP THIS THING!" Aurora screamed.
Olette tried to reach the controls, but with the Gummiship spinning, it was impossible to handle them correctly.
"IT'S NO USE! I CAN'T CONTROL IT!" she shrieked.
"QUICK, HIT THE AUTOPILOT!" Hayner yelled.
Dopey held onto the weapon-manning chair as the transportation spun when he spotted a button labled AUTOPILOT. He reached over and pressed it.
At that moment, an inflatable autopilot blew up in the pilto's chair and began to steer the ship. It had a nametag on it that read "Otto."
"Is that… an inflatable pilot?" Zack asked, hanging onto the doorway into the back of the ship.
"I don't know whether to be relieved, amused, or concerned." Olette said, trying to get back onto her feet.
Suddenly, the dark swirl struck the Gummiship again and Otto was disconnected from the chair and flew back into the wall and deflated.
"Yer dern fake pilot's out!" Grumpy yelled as they began to fall.
Hayner struggled to get back in the pilot's seat. "I have no idea how to do an emergency landing in this situation so… brave for impact!" he shouted.
Everyone tried as Hayner struggled to gain control as the Gummiship fell into Radiant Garden.
Hollow Bastion, Castle Chapel:
The Gummiship ended up crashing through the chapel and everyone crashed through the glass, flying out. Quickly thinking, Olette used a Graviga spell to slow them down and they landed, sliding across the ground.
Everyone groaned as they struggled to get up.
"Is everyone okay…?" Florian groaned.
"Not me…" mumbled Bashful.
"Oh what a dreadful landing…" groaned Aurora, rubbing her head.
"What the hell struck us?" Hayner asked, trying to get up.
Then, Aurora and Phillip's eyes widened in horror as they saw the dark swirl float down in front of them in the center of the chapel. A familar cackle sounded out as the swirl began to transform.
"No… NO!" Aurora cried.
"It's… it's her…" Phillip said with a shaky breath.
And he was right. The swirl grew tall and out came Maleficent. A dark grin was plastered on her face as she glowed a fiery green from her magic.
"Maleficent!" Aurora gasped in terror.
"Oh no…" Snow White gasped, scared.
"Not her again!" cried Alice.
"You poor, simple, fools…" Maleficent sneered before smirking. "You thought you won the day after defeating three members of Organization XIII. But the fun has only just begun…"
Hayner, Pence, and Olette could only look up in horror as the Mistress of Evil grinned wickedly down at them.
"Now it's my turn…" Maleficent she evilly grinned.
To be concluded…
One more chapter to go! It's Hayner, Pence, and Olette up against a very powerful enemy who's power can outrank Sephiroth's. And unlike the fight against the 2014 versions of Thanos and his forces, they're on their own. And you'll see how.
And before you ask, Sephiroth didn't go after the former Princesses of Heart because he was focused on his goal to capture Alice and get rid of Zack and the Twilight Town trio. Had he succeeded, he would've picked up his "bonus prizes."
Rate, review, and I will see you all soon!
In Loving Memory of:
Tony Todd
(Candyman series, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Scream TV series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Final Destination series, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo)
December 4, 1954 - November 6, 2024