...First major part of the story here. Yes, there will be musical numbers.
Chapter 3: It's Not Easy
"So, what's the last thing you remember?" Joyex asked Becca as she caught up, "For me? Just being overtaken by darkness...and now I'm here."
"The last thing..." Becca said as her mind flashed.
Becca stood on grassy mountains she looked back the three people from her dream…
"I'll be back. I just need to find some answers…"
"I think I was going somewhere, that I needed answer to something…?" Becca said "I left, but after that I wake up from being in a container of water…"
"Well, better than nothing, eh?" Joyex shrugged.
"True, but…before I woke up, I had a weird dream. But at same time, it felt familiar." Becca said.
"Yep. I'm the same way." Joyex nodded, "Only thing I know for sure? There's a friend of mine who's probably lost and confused. So, gotta find him now…"
"I'm guessing a best friend if you're out looking for him." Becca said, looking at her new companion with a smile.
"The very best." Joyex said…before music began to play. On the right cue, Joyex began singing.
He's got...
The heart of a hero,
A brain made of solid rock…
"He sounds like a great guy." Becca said smiling. Joyex nodded.
He's one,
Means I'm not a zero,
And it's easy to see why…
'Cuz it's not easy
To find someone who cares.
It's not easy
To find magic in pairs.
I'm glad I found him,
I love him.
I won't let him get away.
'Cuz it's not easy…
Becca smiled and began to sing with Joyex in a rather beautiful voice.
You say
The heart of a hero,
A brain made of solid rock...
Joyex leaned in with a finger pointing up.
My response is "And how"!
Becca smiled.
It's clear that friends can be different
Yes I understand you now
'Cuz it's not easy
To find someone who cares.
It's not easy
To find magic in pairs.
Becca smiled looking at Joyex, thinking of the friend he was looking for.
When you find him hold him
Treasure him from day to day
It's so easy
Becca looks at her Wayfinder, feeling a connection with…someone, but she was unsure who exactly.
Life is lollipops and raindrops
With the one you love
Someone you can always be with
Argue and Agree with
Joyex ran onto a building and looked down, grinning.
Climb the highest tree with!
He jumped down and gave a perfect landing.
And it's not easy
To share somebody's dream
But gets easy,
When you're part of a team!
Becca smirked, lightly punching Joyex's arm.
You got tend it, fan it…
Joyex blocked her blows before delivering a few himself.
That's what I plan to do!
He laughed before just shrugging.
I had one friend on my side…
Guess I've got TWO…
Him and YOU.
Becca smiled hearing that she could use a friend right now
Him and Me!
The two then finished together
It's so easy…
Joyex chuckled, "Well, I'll be. Not often that you find someone willing to start a spontaneous song."
"Well, I like singing." Becca smiled.
"We're gonna get along juuuuust fine." Joyex said, patting Becca's shoulder.
"Let's go find your friend." Becca said smiling.
Becca and Joyex walked around town looking for any signs
"See anything?" Joyex asked Becca as he slid off a rooftop.
"Nothing yet." Becca said.
Becca then heard something, an annoyed-sounding grumble. The words "Lunar Lunatic" were clear, muttered in a Boston accent.
"Someone's coming this way, though!" Becca said.
A man walked into view. He had tanned skin, electric blue eyes, brown hair, a black hat, a small shield on his left arm, a red shirt decorated with the symbol of a piece of cheese in a target and the words "Rat's Trap", military camo pants, and a shiny silver leg.
"Dang stinkin'…I oughta…sack o'…" he muttered, irritably, before noticing Becca and Joyex watching him, "Take a picture, it'll last longer."
"Sorry, we were just looking for someone." Becca said.
"Makes TWO of us…" the man muttered.
"Three. We're looking for the same guy." Joyex said, pointing to Becca.
"Wise guy, eh?" The man asked, annoyed, "Sorry, but if you're lookin' for someone, ya won't find 'em here. This is Traverse Town, a place for folks whose worlds went from 'is' to 'isn't'."
Becca looked as though heard that before…
"Well, you're in a mood." Joyex commented.
The man sighed, annoyed, "Sorry. Some sack o' crap just hid my other leg and I'm missin' my mornin' coffee."
Joyex briefly wondered how he knew it was morning in this world, but decided not to pursue it, "I'm Joyex. This is Becca."
"Blader Duket." Blader said, "Now, come on. We got a place fer folks like you."
Becca followed Joyex and Blader, still thinking on what he said about the worlds.
POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH
"Come, bro. We have much to discuss." Crescent said, grabbing Yozora and leading him away.
"Did the music change just now or was that just me?" Yozora asked blankly as he was carted off.
"Yep! And, spoiler alert, it's not gonna stop that anytime soon…" Crescent said, "So, amnesia thing? Is this like Bourne Identity, where you remember everything you need? Or are you gonna need to re-learn basic bladder control? Just asking outta curiosity, y'know."
"I assume the former?" Yozora slowly said, before glancing down at his pants, "Yeah, definitely the former. No need to panic, my bladder is in check."
"Good, 'cuz it was tricky enough the first time 'round. See-"
Before he could finish, something sprung out of the shadows and stabbed him through the gut before sending him flying. It was a dark creature, moving with jerky motions, a strange, heart-shaped emblem on its chest, and a silver helmet on its head.
"UGH! Frickin' Soldiers!" Crescent growled, standing up as the gaping hole in his chest healed over before drawing two swords, "Hey, Yoze? You got anything to use?"
"Uh-" Yozora paused, glancing down at his hands. His gaze flickered to the ring, before he balled his fist. "I have this…and…"
He noticed an abandoned market stall, selling various bits of fishing…equip…ment…
Seconds later, he brandished a fishing pole, as if it were a sword, complete with a short flourish before entering a ready stance; knees bent, pole out in front of him, in both hands like it were a long katana or a great sword. "And I've GOT THIS!"
"Well, don't worry, Ernest Hemmingway! 'Cuz this thing here?" Crescent said, drawing his sword, "This here's the Soul Blade! One stab and all the darkness just-"
The Soldier stabbed him again. He sprung up and slashed it to pieces as other Heartless appeared.
"Okay, I lied. This isn't the Soul Blade. That was a callback to Lord of Souls. I deserved that." Crescent commented.
Yozora just shot forward. With surprising skill and strength, for an amnesiac who had just woken up fifteen or so minutes ago, he swung the pole around with a yell and smacked it straight into a Soldier, sending it sprawling into two others. He pulled back and, instinctively, went to deliver a flurry of swings. He drove his foot into one's helmeted face, causing a loud 'CLANG' as the helm vibrated and shook before it was kicked straight towards Crescent.
"THIS IS FOR PUTTING HOLES IN MY CHEST!" Crescent shouted, slashing through it with his katana.
One of the Soldiers went to swing at Yozora, who turned around and, at the last second, it… phased straight through him?
"Hu-huh?!" Yozora gawked in disbelief, "Did I…just do that…?"
"Yep! Ya sure did!" Crescent said, holding out one of his katanas, "Hey, ever used one of these? Looks a LOT cooler than swingin' a fishin' pole around-"
STAB!
Another Heartless put its claws through the man's midsection.
"Right, time and place." He said, cutting through it as his chest healed (again), "Honestly, this is getting old."
Yozora took a firm grip of the fishing pole, flashing a small grin. "I'll think about it, but y'know…I make this look COOL!" He suddenly threw out the line and let it fly, latching onto a nearby, large vase and, with a tug, reeled it in, smashing into a Soldier's head from behind, before he slammed it into the dirt with enough force it dispelled…all the while his ring began to shimmer.
"Hey, your bling's shining." Crescent commented, throwing a razor-sharp, moon-shaped disc at another Soldier.
Yozora stomped both feet firmly onto the ground, parrying and deflecting Soldiers, before his ring suddenly flared up. "Huh-?" A single word flashed through his mind. It was as if…it was trying to tell him…what to…
Well, it was worth a shot.
"HOLY!"
The ring glowed.
And, in an instant, a blinding pillar of radiant, blessed light exploded outwards around him. The sheer brightness and warmth of the pure light washing away every single Heartless present, the shadowed creatures obliterated.
"Dude…that was wicked, man!" Crescent exclaimed.
Yozora panted heavily, clutching his ring hand with grit teeth; a stinging sensation burning through it…the finger now covered in grey, crack-like scars that had spread down to his forearm. "Wha…what…was that…?" he asked himself in disbelief.
POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH
Lucy crossed her arms and raised one of eyebrows. "This guy a friend of yours?" She asked Sakuzy.
"I've never met him before." Sakuzy said.
"I'm Petross. Sorry, I didn't know you two were new in Traverse Town." The man, Petross, said.
"Right." Sakuzy said, "I'm Sakuzy, Mr. Petross. This is Lucy."
"Traverse Town?" Lucy asked as she looked up at the buildings.
"Yes. If you wound up here...then I'm sorry. This is a world for the wandering souls after their worlds..." Petross said, pausing as he tried finding the tactful approach.
Sakuzy folded his arms as he connected the dots, "Oh...I see..."
"That's a rather nonchalant response." Petross commented.
"I...don't remember anything before I woke up. I know my name's Sakuzy, but besides that...just a blur." Sakuzy replied.
"Sometimes, holes can appear in one's memory, but I don't think a wipe on that level could appear." Petross said. He then looked at Lucy, "What about you?"
"Barely." Lucy said as she held placed her gloved index finger on her chin and looked up in thought. "All I remember was that I was home, getting ready for my Struggle tournament, and then the lights went out." She said.
"Struggle?" Sakuzy asked.
"Come on, let's get somewhere a bit safer." Petross said, "The Defense Coalition's got a well-fortified spot for newcomers to be properly set-up. Follow me, please."
Petross walked away and Sakuzy only then realized that Petross was...big. Really big. About seven feet tall and built like a tank.
"What do you think?" Sakuzy asked, looking at Lucy.
"Well, I think at this point we don't really have a choice." Lucy replied. "It's either we trust him, or nothing."
"Yeah. Guess so." Sakuzy said, "Let's go, then."
Sakuzy followed after Petross. Lucy, though, saw something...odd.
A large, ornate wardrobe made of polished, brown wood and decorated with carvings of trees, rings, lions, and apples. Standing right in the middle of the street.
Lucy glanced ahead and saw Sakuzy going on without her, she reached up her arm to call out to him but before she could, something stopped her. She put her arm back down and turned her attention to the wardrobe.
"How did this get out here?" She asked herself as she approached it. "Maybe somebody's getting rid of it and put it up for sale?" She asked as she looked up at the huge piece of furniture. As her curiousity kept taking over, Lucy grabbed the wardrobe's handle and gently pulled it open. Right as she did, a whoosh of cold air touched her skin. Lucy gasped and pulled back quickly due to the shock of the cold.
"Wha…?" She mumbled as her eyes became big. Just then a grin formed across her cheeks. "I for sure have something here..." She thought and before Lucy knew it, she stepped inside the wardrobe and shut the door behind her.
"Keep on guard, things can be dangerous here." Petross said.
"You have any weapons, Lucy? 'Cuz I have nothing..." Sakuzy asked, looking back...to see that Lucy had vanished, "Lucy?"