Kairi knew some people would tell her she was stupid for all of this.
That these people were - Programs. Data. That this world, this "Grid" was just some simulation running on some computer - out in some "real" world, or however this worked (especially since it was a Sleeping World).
Data in a dream.
Or dreams of data.
Ephemer had said that these dream worlds were trapped in endless loops, repeating the same events, over and over, until they could be woken up again. Trapped in nightmares, by Nightmares.
Maybe some people would take that and say it meant that the people of this world were doubly fake. That this wasn't all pointless just because they were data people inside a fake dream, or whatever, but because even if Kairi did change things here, even if she did get rid of this Clu guy...everything would just "reset" anyways, after. However that worked, exactly. Ephemer hadn't been too specific.
But Kairi just didn't care.
She'd seen and talked to these people. They weren't just automatons, or- or figments of imagination, running on a loop. Playing out some script, sticking to their lines. Conjured up by the Sleeping World's Heart to fill in its dreams. They were as real as she was. The fear, the hope, the emotions on their faces and in their voices and in their eyes...Kairi had seen it, and it was real.
And she'd been in another dream, before, in another situation like this one. All those months ago now. She'd told the dream versions of her best friends that they were real, too, whole-heartedly believing her own words, on that little adventure. She'd meant it.
And she meant it this time, too.
Just because they were "data" or even a "dream" didn't mean they weren't real, thinking, feeling people.
And that meant she would do everything she could to help them. To free them.
But even if they hadn't been - even if she believed that - she would still act the exact same way. Because the way it all felt here, the way they behaved, and looked...it was so real that at that point what would the difference even be? Could anyone even say, point it out?
So Kairi would be who she was, and do what she did, regardless.
Which was fly up to a giant, floating, orange glowing warship above a sprawling techno city of neon lights, alongside a giant female bee monster in a gorgeous yellow dress.
Cyl and Bitz, meanwhile, were riding atop Beatrice's head - clinging to her huge crown horn and antennae, as the rain and stormy winds whipped at them.
As the giant ship came into view, Kairi had to take a moment just to marvel at it, all context aside.
It was absurdly large - and even more absurdly long. Two-thirds of its length seemed devoted to some kind of really, really long hangar bay. The front of the ship's length was wide open, revealing the interior of said hangar bay. Near the back end of the ship, there was a big circle on one side with an open walkway, and a tower sticking up from the top.
As they actually neared the giant ship, however, it really became clear to Kairi that she had never seen anything this massive in her entire life so far.
She and Beatrice, with passengers, flew up to the wide open front of the ship - and she could only stare in shock and awe at the interior.
The massive, sprawling ceiling of the hangar, that ran nearly the entire length of the warship, was covered in blue light strips that shined down on its reflective, curved interior. On the left-hand side, a strip of orange light ran the length of it. On the right side...there was a huge beam of blue energy, running through multiple towers or structures placed at regular intervals. This huge beam of energy also seemed to run the length of the ship.
On the left side of the hangar, there were dozens of those giant, horseshoe shaped neon orange ships - and dozens of big, armored, glowing orange land vehicles too. There were also large ships with sleek wings, folded and sticking upward above them, and shiny cockpits.
There were well over a hundred (possibly several hundred) orange armored soldiers wandering around the massive hangar - patrolling walkways and docking platforms on the edges, or marching to and fro across the open floors.
An open floor that was dangerously split by a gap down the middle, for about the whole one-half or one-third of the ship's total length or so, revealing the open sky and storm clouds below.
"Still want to do this?!" Bitz's hoarse voice called out to Kairi, from atop Beatrice.
Kairi's gaze roamed the massive hangar, taking in all the armored soldiers...and then she nodded. She looked to Bitz and Cyl, and grinned. "Are they really all armed with just melee weapons?"
"Energy weapons are only possible on vehicles," Cyl replied. "They have their own energy sources; if a Program were to try using one, the energy it took from our bodies would suck us dry too fast."
"Then we have the advantage, because I am all about long ranged attacks - and air superiority!" Kairi said firmly. "Come on! We'll go right over their heads!"
She swathed herself in magic and blasted forward, right into the massive hangar.
Beatrice surged forward in her wake. The massive Spirit probably could have overtaken her - but she stayed behind Kairi all the same.
It didn't take long before the soldiers below took notice of the giant monster bee and flying teenage girl above them.
And after that it didn't take long for a repetitive, whining alarm to start echoing across the entire hangar.
Kairi pressed on anyways, rocketing down the length of the ship's vast interior.
They were almost to the end of the hangar - where multiple levels of walkways could be seen, with railing and doors leading off to different parts of the ship, proper.
Kairi grinned to herself.
They had this. It was going to work!
Suddenly, a figure stepped out onto one of the upper walkways. They weren't wearing the neon striped armor of the other soldiers below; they were wearing an all black, lighter suit of some kind, with smaller little orange lights here and there, and a rounder, sleeker helmet that was swept back. The whole, encompassing visor was curved to a downward point, at the front.
The figure stepped up to the railing, and despite that all-covering visored helmet, Kairi sensed that they were staring right...at her. They reached up their arms slowly, almost casually, their hands disappearing behind their back...and then coming back into view holding a glowing disc. Orange on the inner ring, burning white on the outer edge. Then they pulled the disc apart into two separate ones, falling into a low combat stance. They began taking slow, measured steps backwards, confusing Kairi for a moment...
And then the figure exploded into motion, into a run, sprinting and doing a high jump up onto the railing, and then leaping off of it with a single foot into the open air!
The figure sailed farther than Kairi would have thought they would - and Kairi and Beatrice were already too close to the walkways to stop, she realized.
And the figure had known that.
They came slamming into Kairi, tackling her out of mid-air, spinning with her and slashing one of those discs for her face even in the air!
Kairi shoved a hand against their chest and cast Firaga; they were blown apart, sent flying in two different directions! She hit the sleek black floor hard, skidding across it to a stop.
The black suit figure landed and rolled, somehow got their feet and arms under them, and spun around and came to a skidding halt: facing Kairi. Crouched low, that helmet's visor staring directly at her.
Kairi jumped to her feet immediately, summoning her Keyblade. Beatrice circled overhead, lifting her lower body and sending out a barrage of purple stingers shrouded in darkness for the black suited figure. At the same time, Cyl and Bitz came dropping down to land on either side of her, their fists raised in fighting stances.
The black suited figure jumped to their feet and threw themselves into a spinning backflip, avoiding all of Beatrice's attacks with fluid grace. They touched down again, then hurled out a burning disc at Beatrice!
Beatrice took it on the middle of her form, falling backwards in the air with a shriek. She wobbled and dipped low in the air before recovering.
The disc weapon, meanwhile, came curving back to its owner, who threw out an arm to catch it like a zen master to a buzzing fly.
"Rinzler," Cyl spoke, in a voice of fear and wariness.
"Rinzler?" Kairi repeated, staring at her opponent.
"He's the one who derezzed Tron," Bitz rasped, her eyes gazing intensely at the reflective visor. "The greatest champion we ever had - for Programs and Users - and he destroyed him."
Rinzler slowly rose to his feet, holding those twin discs away from his body. He tilted his head at them, and Kairi heard a low, clicking growl issue from the man. Like some kind of demon, or animal. It was honestly terrifying, and she was not afraid to admit that it intimidated her well and good-
Rinzler exploded into motion again, racing forward and hurling a disc for Kairi with a swing of an arm. He hurled out a second one for Bitz!
Kairi blocked and sent it flying off into the ceiling with her Keyblade, then ran forward to meet the now weaponless enemy!
Rinzler met her in the middle - dropping down and lashing out with a spinning kick that swept her off her feet! Then he was leaping atop her, a strong gloved hand seizing her weapon wrist-
A buzzing noise filled the air, and Rinzler flashed a hand up, where one of his discs flew back into his grasp! Then he brought it down on Kairi's chest.
Kairi exploded her power outward, pure and raw - panicking - hurling the man off of her and sending him flying backwards. She scrambled to her feet again-
And then Bitz was tackling her down again, flat on her face.
"What're you-" Kairi gasped.
That same buzzing noise was heard - and Rinzler's other disc weapon came zooming over their heads, back to its owner.
Oh.
"Thanks," she wheezed, as the woman got off her and pulled her quickly to her feet again. She faced Rinzler again, readying her weapon-
"We're here for Clu, remember? Not him," Cyl spoke, coming up beside her in a hurry. She spun Kairi around, pointing off down the hangar.
To the literal legion of soldiers in armor bearing down on them now, with staffs and double-ended energy blade weapons, and straight up orange energy swords, too.
"Right! Let's get out of here!" Kairi agreed swiftly. "Beatrice!" she called out.
Beatrice swooped down behind them; Cyl and Bitz turned and leapt back onto her backside.
Kairi just kicked her feet and shot up into the air, ascending swiftly. She twisted and flew for the uppermost walkways.
She glanced down, seeing Rinzler break into a pounding run - heading for the lower level walkway and connecting ramps.
Kairi soared over the upper walkway's railing, landing on her feet. She turned and saw Cyl and Bitz leaping off Beatrice onto the walkway too. Kairi raised a hand, focusing, and Beatrice vanished in a puff of smoke.
Kairi turned and ran toward the nearest, big metal doors, the doorway of which was shaped like a hexagon. The door remained firmly shut as she slammed into it with her hands!
That alarm was probably the cause.
"The whole ship is on lockdown now," Bitz hissed. "We're not getting in."
"Yes we are!" Kairi said fiercely, stepping back and raising her Keyblade. She breathed, the tip glowed - and a beam shot out to hit the door. Sparkling lights spread across it, and then it slowly slid open with a screeching noise.
"Users really are something-" Cyl began, looking at her in wonder.
Thud.
Kairi whirled around, seeing that Rinzler man come flipping up into view, in a high, twisting arch that saw him landing...precisely on the walkway's railing. He then did another, small flip and landed on the floor, his disc weapons readied.
Yeah, screw that, we're out of here!
Kairi bolted through the doorway, entering a neon lit orange corridor, Bitz and Cyl right behind her!
"This Clu guy would be up in that tower we saw, right?" Kairi spoke, as they approached a split in the hall - left and right. "That looked like a bridge or control room or something, didn't it?"
Cyl gave a quick nod as she sped up to run beside her. "Most likely."
"Okay. Then we're going- left!" Kairi declared, setting off down the new hallway without even stopping.
It was a good thing, too, because not even a second after she changed direction, one of those burning discs came whizzing past her, hitting the wall and bouncing back again in the blink of an eye!
They ran on, then took a right soon. Then, they spilled out into a large, open room with orange lighting!
There were several soldiers milling about - and guards with staffs standing in front of the door on the opposite side of the room.
They all turned at the sight of the intruders. The soldiers pulled energy discs off their backs, like Rinzler had.
Kairi threw herself forward, forming and sending out several Light Blades for the soldiers. Some landed home, embedding themselves into their armored chests. Kairi focused her mind, squeezing her fist. The swords exploded in flashes of light and power, and the soldiers were destroyed completely.
Bitz and Cyl ran for the fallen mess of blue cubes, diving and sliding across the slick floor - snatching up those energy discs in their hands. Then they turned and began to engage the guards.
Kairi leapt forward to help, cutting one across the back as they fought with Bitz. Then she and Bitz went to help Cyl out with her opponent, easily cutting them down.
An awful, clicking, growling sound echoed in the room, and she turned to see Rinzler standing in the doorway.
Just...standing there. Menacingly.
Why were bad guys always so dramatic...?
Because it works, a little voice in her head spoke up.
Cyl and Bitz moved forward, putting themselves between Kairi and Rinzler.
"Go - find Clu - we'll hold off Rinzler," Cyl told Kairi firmly.
"What?! No! That's crazy-" Kairi started.
"Go already, User!" Bitz snapped out. "You're the only one who can do anything to stop this! Only a User can-"
"Uuuuseeeerrrrr..." came a sudden, distorted voice.
The voice of Rinzler.
Rinzler's head tilted, his gaze fixing onto Kairi alone - looking completely beyond Cyl or Bitz.
"Go, please!" Cyl said, more urgently now.
Kairi stared at her, at Bitz. At Rinzler...
But if it was true - if only a 'User' could stop Clu, stop all of this...if User meant "human", in fact, as opposed to what these people said they were - programs - then...
Kairi had to trust in them...and do her part.
She raised a hand, summoning Fin and Cherry, pointing. "Stay with them. Keep them safe," she ordered, before turning and running through the open doorway into a new hallway.
She heard squeaking boots, thudding feet, the sounds of battle behind her-
And she kept running, never looking back.
AN: Rinzler. Is. One of my top 5 most badass silent villain warrior tropes EVER, up there with Darth Maul. And I LOVE that I get to really write him and use him in fight scenes now and just go ham on epicness because THAT IS HIS CANONICAL THING: to exist to do epic fight scenes! I LOVE how flippy and acrobatic and raw his fight style is. XD That is all.