? ? - Second District
It was evening in this world. The streets are empty and the houses are alight. Despite the seemingly peaceful setting, wariness filled the two young girls who walked out of the streets.
"You sure you got everything?"
"Yessy! All the supplies and rations that we need are right here!"
A sigh. "Hopefully, they'll last us for the next of couple weeks..."
One of the two girls, a girl with short, peach hair wearing a C-Clip and headband on her head, wearing a peach sweater and a black skirt, stopped to look up at the night sky.
"Look!"
The other girl, who has medium length brown hair and a leaf hairclip, wearing an oversized blue coat with a belt filled with numerous square shapes of differing colors, covering her black undershirt and black shorts, looked up to see a star twinkling and then fading out of existence.
"A star faded out. And if what they said is true..."
The first girl began to cry.
"That means another world has been consumed..."
The second girl groaned.
"That means if anyone's lucky, they'll find their way here. In this Refuge World."
"Where would they be, though?" the first girl wondered, wiping her eyes of any lingering tears.
The second girl closed her eyes, pinching her nose.
"I don't know, but right now, we have to worry about ourselves first. Especially since we have no idea WHAT our world even was..."
"Will we be okay, though? What about those creepy monsters?"
"Don't worry about them. She's out on patrol right now, so let's head back already."
The second girl began to pick up her pace, causing her friend to panic.
"Ah! Wait up! I don't wanna get picked on again by the scary Mr. Monsters here!"
Little did the two girls knew that their being here has set them on a collision course with another who will remain by their side for most of their days...
? ? - Third District
"Ughhhhhh..."
Neptune slowly woke up to see herself in a dark alley. In front of her is an orange cartoon dog with a red collar.
"Nighty-night, doggy..."
But the dog wasn't having it, and pounced the girl awake!
"I'm awake! I'm awake now!"
The girl stood up and looked around, noticing she was in a dark alleyway. A very small dark alleyway.
"Hey, boy. Do you know where we are?"
The dog raised his head, turned around and ran off in the span of a few seconds.
"So much for a definitive answer..."
She walked after him as she took note of her surroundings. To her right, she noticed a door with a flame symbol on it. To her left is an open square, with a large wooden door and a lock before it.
"Hmmmm..."
She tried to budge the door open, but it wouldn't move!
"That way's a no go..."
"Heya stranger. Fancy meeting someone new in these parts."
Neptune turned around to see a tall woman with red hair, green eyes and a horn headband wearing a white cloak around her.
"Oh, yay! First contact!" The young girl cheered, clapping her hands. "So, can you tell me where we are right now?"
"Sure thing" the woman nodded. "First off, this is Traverse Town, a Refuge World where those who lost their worlds Drifted to. People have been getting by here thanks to rations provided by the Moogles and another nearby world."
She folded her arms as she closely inspects the young girl. "So, what about you? What's your story?"
"Well, let's just say I'm on a quest to save someone from the clutches of an evil witch and leave it at that" Neptune answered with confidence, placing a hand on her chest.
The woman hummed. "You sure didn't hit your head before you came here? You seem a bit too young to go on adventuring..."
"Don't let my cuteness fool you, for I am plenty tough!" Neptune boasted as she puts her hands on her hips.
"You sure seem confident" the woman chuckled. "Far be it from me to stop you, but be sure to come back to rest every now and then, okay? This may be a Refuge World, but there are no shortage of supplies and beds here, got that?"
The girl beamed at the offer. "Thanks for the hospitality, nice lady!"
"Sure thing. By the way, what's your name?"
"It's Neptune! What's yours?" the young girl introduced herself, extending her right hand out.
"Nep-tune, huh? Mine's Artisan." the woman introduced herself, extending her left hand in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you"
The two shook hands.
"Okay, I better get back on patrol. Be careful around here. There are monsters around here, even if the streets look clear."
"I'll be alright, Arty. I can defend myself!"
The woman chuckled. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
She then turned around and left the district.
"Time for me to pick up the pace, too!"
Neptune decided to leave the district, using the gate located up the stairs she just saw earlier.
Traverse Town – Second District
As Neptune walked out of the Third District, she came across a haunting sight.
A woman tripped as she screamed. Eventually, darkness corroded her very being until she vanished, leaving only a heart behind. That heart was then consumed by darkness, spawning a small armored creature in the woman's place. About five seconds later, the creature vanished.
Only to be replaced by more of the ant-like creatures from before!
"Those tiny things from the tutorial segment!"
Neptune braced herself for a fight, but completely forgot about one thing...
"I AM COMPLETELY UNARMED!"
Panicking, she looked around frantically.
"Oh please, let there be something. Anything will do!"
And her eyes beheld her salvation!
"Yes!"
Leaping to her left, she grabbed a cypress stick that was lying on the ground.
"Alright, you fiends! Time for you all to face the power of Neptune!" the young girl declared, sighing afterwards. "Wow, that was really generic..."
Invigorated by the acquisition of a weapon(?), she proceeded to attack the creatures with her usual attacks and combos.
"Hyah!" Upward slash!
"Toh!" Downward strike!
"Come on!" Downward area strike!
Only to find her attacks are barely damaging them! If only she had a better weapon...
"Okay, I may need a better plan here..."
The creatures aren't giving her time for that, though, and pounced on her!
"Ah!"
As she braced for impact, a bright light shone on her hand. More specifically, the hand that was holding onto the cypress stick.
"Wha-"
As the light faded, the stick was nowhere to be seen. In it's place was a...key shaped sword-thingy. It was colored black, is of medium length, yet quite slick with it's design, with purple lines glowing around it. The guard is shaped like an oversized N, with a purple crystal holding a near-whole circle with a small line drawn on it's opening on top for a keychain.
Wasting no time, the creatures attempt to strike again. Sensing hostile intent, Neptune wielded the weapon and stroke down the creatures in a two clean strikes.
"Dude, this is one strange weapon. Almost thought it was a chainsaw for a second there."
As she relaxed from the lack of hostile presences, the weapon she was wielding earlier vanished from her hand.
"Awwwww, you're gonna take this weapon away, too?" the girl moaned in mild annoyance. "Or is it one of those weapons that come at the flick of a wrist or something?"
She tried flicking her right wrist, and sure enough, the key-shaped weapon respawned onto her hand.
"Nep-wow! I didn't think that'd work!"
She flicked her wrist again, and the weapon disappeared again. At least she knows she can call it out again.
"Okay, so to recap, I woke up in a Refuge World, found creepy monsters lurking about, I have a massive key-sword thingy to fight them off and I gotta save Histy from an evil witch."
She clapped her own face three times to perk herself up. "Okay! First rule of exploration. Run around and keep track of everything!"
With her spirit invigorated, Neptune sallied forth once more, fully intent on learning where she is and what is going on out there.
Traverse Town – Red Room
"I'm back!"
Artisan opened the door into the room, seeing the two girls from earlier settling in with their bought supplies.
"Welcome back, Arty!" the girl in the sweater greeted.
"Hey, Artisan." the girl in the blue coat said. "How's the patrol?"
"It's fine, IF" Artisan replied to the second girl. "How's shopping with Compa?"
IF, the second girl, sighed. "Could've been better. It's not easy to purchase the needed goods, especially when we're short on munny and it's getting harder to haggle with these darned moogles for lower prices..."
"Now, Iffy..." Compa scolded her friend. "We can't be too careful when it comes to our survival. Like my grandpa said 'It's better to overprepare than to never prepare at all'"
"Yeah, but..." IF countered. "I fail to see how purchasing all those dessert ingredients was considered necessary!"
"You'll never know, Iffy! Sweets can really get the brain going!"
And so, the two devolved into another silly argument. Artisan could only sigh at the sight.
"Geez, they're off in their own little world again...it's like they don't remember I was even here"
Traverse Town – Accessory Shop
"So, to recap again. I've Drifted(?) into this world, found out I can wield this key-shaped sword, wandered around town, fought a bunch of those monsters, bumping into a manor with a literal couple of dogs missing their 99 kiddos, and now I'm here after shopping with three little duckies over next door. You with me so far, old man?"
Neptune, meanwhile, was busy summarizing her tale to the dirty-blonde old man wearing an engineer's garb on the counter.
"I hear ya, lassy. Believe me, yer story's pretty wacky, too. But it ain't the only one I heard so far in this town."
Neptune seemed offended, summoning her weapon.
"Hey, since when do these type of weapons pop out of nowhere nowadays?"
"Not very often, I'm afraid" the old man said, inspecting the weapon. "You ain't the first one here that has that kinda weapon."
"Wait, seriously?"
Now this had the girl's attention.
"Well, the thing about your weapon is, it's supposed to be pretty rare. Only few people can actually wield the darn things even!"
"And you met someone who can also wield something like this?"
"Yup. A kid just like you, actually. Drifted here like you did. He's probably exploring the town as we speak."
Suddenly, they heard sounds of weapons clashing outside.
"What the nep?"
"Ah, darn. What's up with the racket outside!?"
"Hold it, old man!" Neptune declared. "Since I got a rare weapon, why don't I go check your problem out?"
The old man chuckled. "You seem pretty confident, much like the kiddo from earlier. You know what? Go ahead. Knock yourself out. Just don't go dying on me, ya hear?"
Neptune gave the old man a peace sign. "Just leave it to Neptune, old man!"
As she left, the old man shouted. "Name's Cid, by the way!"
Traverse Town – First District
"Alright, Neptune's here to save the day!"
As she stormed out of the Accessory Shop, she sees two figures, one man and one woman, looking at her. In the middle of them is an unconscious boy.
"Aha! So, you decided to prey on the innocent, have you!?"
"Uh, what's this broad's deal?" the woman, wearing what appears to be ninja garb, asked.
"Beats me." the man, wearing a black jacket and black pants, answered. "However..."
His gaze turns to the young girl's weapon.
"She's got one too."
The ninja's eyes widened. "Wait! There's two Keyblade Wielders here!?"
The man sighed, pinching his nose. "This just got more complicated..."
"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Neptune shouted to the two figures. "You done hatching your vile schemes, evildoers!?"
"I better go calm her down before she misunderstands the situation further..."
Before the man could do so, Neptune was already on the attack, leaping long for a heavy strike.
"...!"
Acting on reflex, the man brought out his weapon, a sword with a gun trigger for a pommel, and parried the blow, sending Neptune tumbling back.
"What's the big ide-AAAHHH!" Neptune suddenly yelled, pointing her shaky finger at the man's gun-shaped sword. "What's with that weapon and why does it look cooler than mine!?"
"She's not quite in there, huh?" the woman said, carrying the unconscious boy on her back. "I'll take him in. Will you be okay?"
"This is hardly my first rodeo." the man said cooly. "Now get going, Yuffie."
The woman, Yuffie, saluted. "You got it, Squall. Try not to lose like you did with the last kid!"
As she left, the man could only pinch his nose in annoyance. "I told you, it's Leon"
"Hey, if you are done talking to the imaginary wall, then let's get this fight going!"
Neptune recovered and readied her battle stance. "Don't worry, kiddo. Once I nep this guy up, he'll tell me where that ninja lady took ya and Neptune'll save ya like the heroine I am!"
Leon huffed. "Fine, if that's how you want it..."
Neptune struck first, launching a slash to the right, which he blocked.
She then aimed for a thrust, but her opponent parried the blow.
Hopping back, she leapt forward for a spinning jump slash, which pushed Leon back a bit.
"So, she relies on power swings. She actually hits harder than the last kid did. In that case..."
Leon then channeled magic energy onto his hand and launched a fireball at his opponent.
"A telegraphed fireball move! Bad call!"
Neptune, seeing the fireball coming, she batted the fireball away.
"Now where did he go?"
She looked around, and in about two seconds, she looked up to see Leon bearing down at her with a downward strike!
"Woah!"
She hopped away, barely dodging in time, and she kept on dodging his blows, a quick downward slash and a heavy horizontal slash, before Leon launched another fireball at Neptune!
"Ack!"
The fireball hit it's mark, pushing her back and dealing some damage.
"Despite her spirited demeanor, she's been able to adapt to most of my attacks. In a way, the boy from earlier held on in the same manner."
As the dust settles, Neptune coughed out the smoke blocking her sight, her parka slightly charred from the last attack.
"Sheesh, you've ruined the parka! Now, I'm mad!"
Rushing forward, she stroke against Leon...
"Here she comes!"
...and launched a furious combo at him!
Two diagonal slashes!
Then a power thrust!
And then a downward slash, followed by a heaving attack that sends her opponent into the air!
"What is this strength!?"
She then jumped up and performs one more slash, sending Leon down, damaging him upon impact!
"Guh! This is what I get for holding back against two Keyblade Wielders..."
"Like that? That's my first special move! I call it...Cross Combination! Eat that!"
Despite her small victory, Neptune is running out of breath. Her vision's also getting hazy from fighting all night without rest.
"Wanna...keep going? I can...do this all...night~"
And just like that, she passed out like a light.
"And she passed out, just like the last kid did..."
Leon got up and inspected his opponent.
"Things really did get worse, huh?"
He then carried the girl like a princess and brought her out of the district.
Traverse Town – Alleyway
"Uhhh, Donald, are you sure about this place? It seems kinda spooky..."
"Oh, what's the big idea, Goofy? I'm not scared!"
Currently, Donald Duck and Goofy, two of Disney World's Royal Guard, are in this world in search of the 'key', in order to find their missing king. In order to find that, they first need to search for a man named Leon, who can guide them on the proper direction.
"Excuse me"
Donald immediately jumped in terror from the sudden touch of a finger, causing him to hug his friend in a panic.
"Are you two the King's Guard?"
A woman with green eyes, a pink dress and a matching pink ribbon approached them with a playful smile.
"Seems pretty gallant for the so-called Royal Guard, eh?"
The first woman giggled. "Come now, Artisan. Anyone would freak out in a cold, dark place like these sewers!"
Hearing this got the hot-blooded duck all angered. "What's the big idea!? You want a piece of me!?"
Artisan chuckled. "Don't get your feathers ruffled up, ducky!"
"That's right, we're here to help you."
The two andromorphic animals looked at each other for a bit. Can these two women be trusted?
Traverse Town – Green Room
"Come on, lazy bum. Wake up!"
The boy shook his head as he gets up from the bed.
"Where...am I?"
He looked up to see a girl with red hair, wearing a white shirt and a purple skirt looking at him.
"Those creatures will keep coming after you...so long as you wield the Keyblade."
The boy only felt confused by the words the girl mentioned. Those didn't seem like the kind of words she would usually say, he thought.
Still...
"I'm just glad you're okay, Kairi"
The girl laughed.
"Kairi? Who are you talking about? I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi!"
Hearing the name, the boy shook his head again, and sure enough, a different girl, one with black hair and ninja garb stood in front of him.
"I think you overdid it, Squall!"
She turned to the man who was leaning near the door to other room nearby.
"That's Leon"
The boy turned his attention to the weapons hanging by the door. His weapon, a simple short-length Keyblade with a yellow guard and a silver mouse head for a keychain, stood there with another that is black and purple.
"The Keyblade..."
"We have to get that off of you to shake off those creatures." the ninja explained. "Turns out that's how they were tracking you."
"Granted, it won't work for long" the man continued as he grabbed the boy's weapons. "Still, hard to believe someone like you is one of the chosen ones..."
He then took a left swing with it, causing it to disappear...and then reappeared at the boy's hand.
"Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers..." Leon remarked, approaching the boy.
"How about you start making sense?" the boy asked frustratingly. "What's going on here?"
"Woah, slow down there, kiddo" the ninja exclaimed. "You're not the only one here who needs to hear what we have to say."
The boy only looked confused, so the girl points towards the sofa.
More specifically, the girl with purple hair and white parka that's snoozing peacefully on said sofa.
"zzzzz...Nepnepnepnepnep...zzzzz"
"Who's she?" the boy asked.
"Believe it or not, that girl over there's the wielder of the other Keyblade." the man answered.
"He can tell! He nearly got thrashed by her after you went to town with him." the ninja guffawed.
"So, you were watching me, then..." Leon pinched his nose in annoyance.
"Hey, Great Ninja, remember?" Yuffie boasted. "Getting back and forth in familiar territory is no biggie for one like me!"
"She can wield this too?" the boy wondered, raising his weapon while looking at the sleeping girl.
"It's a fact" Leon answered. "It'll take some time for her to wake up though..."
?
"-eptune? Neptune? Please, wake up!"
Neptune groaned. "Five more minutes, please."
"For the love of...JUST WAKE UP ALREADY!"
The loud shout was enough to snap the young lady awake.
"I'm wide awake now!"
When she came to, she noticed that she was in a familar place...
A familiar, empty place...
"Back here again..." Neptune said, casting her head down. "So much for the taste of freedom, I guess..."
"No, this is only a dream." a familiar voice answered. "It is the only way I can freely communicate with you, Neptune"
"Oh, hey Histy! Short time, no hear! How've you been?"
"About as well as my current predicament allows me. I see you have awoken to your power."
"My power?" Neptune said, scrunching her face. "Wait, you mean that...key-weapon I have?"
"Yes! The power of the Keyblade."
"Key-blade? That's a...pretty simple name. What is it?"
"It is a powerful weapon. Despite it's shape and size, it is capable of destroying those dark creatures you've been encountering. And other feats as well, both benevolent and malevolent."
"Woah!" Neptune gasped in amazement. "Seems like this weapon's quite a big deal, huh?"
"It is a weapon thought lost to time." Histoire continued. "Only legends speak of it's existence, even now."
"I see. Know anything else about this, Histy?"
"I'm sorry, but my knowledge on such a weapon is quite limited. You may need to seek other sources of information if you wish to know more about it."
"Eh, it's fine." Neptune shrugged, placing her hands on her back. "I'll probably learn more about it on the way to you, Histy. Still, how am I gonna go about freeing you?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I promised I'd free you and I'm gonna do it." Neptune declared with a pumped fist. "But if I'm going out there to beat that evil witch you've talked about, I'm gonna need some help." The girl continued, placing her hands on her hips. "A hero always has a party to accompany them on their journey, after all!"
"I see." the heavenly voice answered. "In that case, I sense several presences near you that can aid you on your journey."
"Ooooohhhhh." Neptune cheered, clapping her hands. "That's neat!"
"In addition, you may encounter people like yourself. People who feel lost as they do not know anything about themselves."
Neptune gasped. "So, they're fellow amnesiacs just like me, huh?"
"Indeed. You will know them when you feel them. Ask your heart, and it shall guide you to them."
"My heart, huh..."
Silence filled the area for a good three seconds.
"...By the way, Histy, I've been meaning to ask." Neptune said as she crossed her arms in thought.
"Sure. Ask away."
"Lately, my heart's feeling...I dunno...heavier? More filled? Like, I feel stronger than I was when I woke up in that Refuge World."
"Ah, that must be the connection you made before." Histoire answered. "You are likely close to the one you have connected to right now."
"Oh, so...like my soulmate?"
"I cannot say for sure, but I'm sure your heart will not lead you astray."
"All this talk about the heart is making methinks that they got a lot of power in this story." Neptune wondered in her usual whimsy.
"Meta talk aside, you are correct." Histoire confirmed. "Belief and faith in one's heart is the key to surmounting the trials ahead, but you need not fight alone."
"Yup." The girl chirped. "A good hero always got a reliable party with them, and you said there are good choices near me, right?"
"Yes. I wish I could tell you more about the dangers ahead, but I cannot maintain this link for long." the voice bemoaned. "You would have to get those answers from others."
"Alright-y! Just hang in there, Histy! Ol' Neptune's gotta bust you out good! It's a promise"
A chuckle is heard. "I look forward to it. Be careful, Neptune"
Traverse Town – Green Room
Neptune fluttered her eyes open, waking to see...
"An...unfamiliar ceiling?" She looked to her left to see three people staring at her. A man, a woman and a boy.
"Look who's awake!" the woman exclaimed.
Getting up, Neptune stretched as she clutched her stomach. "Oooohhhh, my body feels sore and my tank's running on empty. You guys got any grub?"
The three looked among themselves.
"I think I have some crackers on me."
The woman pulled out some unopened crackers from her pocket.
"Here you go! It's not much, but hey, at least your stomach won't be empty!"
Neptune clapped her hands in celebration.
"The blessings of a good samaritan! Thank you!"
She took the crackers with gusto and started chowing down on them.
"See what I mean?" the man complained.
"You weren't kidding" the boy said. "She looks like she's got a one-track mind"
The girl stopped for a bit to stare at the two males in the room.
"Anyway, you two are owed an explanation over what's been going on lately." the ninja lady inferred.
"Oooooohhhh, is it exposition time!?" Neptune said with stars in her eyes.
"Yep. You two need to know what's going on if you want to survive out there" the ninja woman said.
Traverse Town – Red Room
"Oooooohhhhh, fluffy ducky!"
"Wak! Lemme go! LET ME GO!"
Compa is busy glomping Donald. Apparently, walking, talking animals are a rare sight for her.
"Come on, Compa. Drop the duck. They've got some explaining to do." IF urged, which cause the other girl to sadly stop glomping.
Once the other two women stopped giggling at the sight of a ruffled Donald, they began their exposition dump.
"Okay, so you four know that there are other worlds besides this town, right?" the woman in pink started.
"Yep." Donald agreed.
"That's what you told us, yeah" IF followed.
"But they're supposed to be a secret..." Goofy said, covering his mouth.
"Are they?" Compa asked.
"Yep." Artisan nodded. "The reason why their existence is kept mum is because the worlds aren't connected."
Aerith continued, closing her eyes in recollection... "But when the Heartless came, everything changed..."
Traverse Town – Green Room
"Heartless?" the boy asked.
"The one that attacked you both." Yuffie answered.
"You mean those ant-like creatures?" Neptune asked, to which the ninja nodded.
"Those without hearts" Leon explained. "They seek out the darkness in people's hearts..."
He paused for a second.
"And there is darkness in every heart..."
Neptune took the chance to sniff herself.
"I don't emit any stinkin' darkness. Besides, girls like me only emit rainbows and marshmallows!"
This got both the ninja and boy laughing at her remark. The man, on the other hand, facepalmed.
"Wow, you're such a hoot!" Yuffie said, regaining her composure. "Anywho, you two ever heard of a man named Ansem?"
Traverse Town – Red Room
"Ansem?" Goofy asked, sensing something familiar with the name.
"If I recall, he's the ruler from your home world, right Aerith?" IF asked.
Aerith nodded. "He, along with his apprentices studied the Heartless. He had kept his research in a detailed report"
"Oooohhhh" Compa said. "Can we see them, please?"
"We would...if we had them..." Artisan cringed.
"So, what? Are they lost?" IF asked.
"It's pages are scattered everywhere..." Aerith replied, shaking her head.
"Scattered?" Donald repeated.
"To many worlds." the woman in pink answered.
"That will take a lot of time to find them..." IF wondered.
"Oh, maybe your king went around to find them!" Compa believed.
"Yeah!" Donald agreed.
"Yes. Our thoughts exactly" Aerith nodded.
"Oh yeah!" Goofy suddenly shouted. "Ansem!"
"What were you thinking about?" Donald demanded.
"Well, the King mentioned to us that he befriended a guy named Ansem when he was looking into what's been going on in the worlds." Goofy explained.
"So, your King knows who he is?" IF asked.
The dog-man nodded. "Yup. He said that he is a wise ruler and an avid researcher with a love for ice cream."
"Wise, huh..." Aerith mumbled bitterly.
"He used to be called Ansem the Wise, back when he ruled that world" Artisan narrated in the woman in pink's place. "Of course, that's before we heard the rumors regarding him."
"Rumors?" Compa repeated.
The hooded woman nodded. "Supposedly, Ansem's been leading forbidden research, ones involving the hearts of people. There are even rumors that he has kidnapped children for experiments without anyone's knowledge. And before the world fell into darkness, he had left to continue his research alone, leaving his apprentices alone."
"That's terrible..." IF said with anger.
"How sad..." Compa wept. Donald followed suit with a small cry.
Aerith sighed as she shook her head. "Whatever the case may be, it is undeniable fact that our world was lost to the Heartless and now they are running rampant across other worlds. Anyone lucky to survive ends up in Refuge Worlds like this one."
"That's why we gotta find the King quick!" Goofy urged. "He'd know how to handle this!"
"Wait a minute!" Donald reminded as he dragged the camera down to his face (since when can he do that?) "First, we need that 'key'!"
"'Key'?" the other two girls asked, tilting their heads.
Aerith answered their question. "That's right, the Keyblade..."
Traverse Town – Green Room
"So, this is the key..." the boy said, holding up his Keyblade.
"That's right." Yuffie nodded.
"An ancient weapon from times past, said to be able to unlock any lock and bring forth either everlasting peace or all-consuming catastrophe." Leon explained. "The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming after the both of you, no matter what"
"So, these things can attract those Heartless and are the only ones who can destroy them completely?" Neptune asked. "Did I get all that right?"
"Yup" the ninja agreed.
"What about you guys?" the boy asked. "Leon there was pretty tough in our fight..."
"That's the thing. We could only..." Yuffie tries to explain. "...what's that word, Leon?"
"Disperse"
The ninja nodded in gratitude. "Yeah. That's about as much as we can do by ourselves."
Traverse Town – Red Room
"Without something like the Keyblade, we can only do so much damage to the Heartless before they reform themselves and attack again." Artisan explained.
"I see" IF nodded. "No wonder we couldn't do so much ourselves."
Compa looked down in shame as well. "We tried fighting them off ourselves, but they just came back moments later, so we just ran away..."
Traverse Town – Green Room
"Well, I didn't ask for this!" the boy complained.
"I didn't ask for this either" Neptune said cheerily as she now held her Keyblade that came back thanks to Leon. "But hey, I'm not complaining either!"
"The Keyblades choose their wielders" Yuffie explained. "And they chose the two of you!"
"So, tough luck" Leon brushed off, leaning back near the door to the other room.
"Still, how did all this happen?" the boy tried to recall. "I recall being in my room, then a storm hit the island...and then..."
He then stood up in shock. "What happened to my home!? My island?"
The boy then hung his head in sadness "Riku. Kairi..."
"Poor kid..." Neptune could only say in empathy. Despite not having a home of her own, she could sympathize with the feeling of being lost in an unknown world.
"You know what...?" Leon started. "I don't really know..."
"You should be lucky, kiddo" Yuffie said, lying down on the bed. "Not every Drifter's lucky enough to wash up in a Refuge World like this one."
Traverse Town – Red Room
"Drifter?" the duck repeated.
"Those who were casted out of their home worlds." Aerith explained, motioning her hand to Artisan. "In a way, everyone living in here is a Drifter, but Artisan here is a special case."
"How?" the dog asked.
"Well, you see, before I arrived at this town, my own home world's been gone long." the woman in white answered. "The first world I Drifted to was in fact, Leon's home world. Then once that world started to fall, we all packed up and ran here."
Traverse Town – Green Room
"Drifters, huh?" Neptune repeated. "Didn't know that nice lady was one..."
"Yup. People like Artisan lost their home world then ended up in ours." Yuffie explained. "But the funny thing is, some Drifters like her can't recall much about their home world."
"They can't!?" the girl exclaimed.
"They can't" Leon answered. "No matter how much they can recall, they can't remember a lot of details. They can remember certain things in their lives before, but anything down to their world's name, or important events and cities, they can't recall."
"Didn't we agree that those cases are considered special though?" the ninja asked. "I mean, you and me and Aerith and old Cid can recall our home just fine and I'm sure the kiddo over here can recall his home island, right?"
The boy nodded slowly, still feeling sad.
Traverse Town – Red Room
"So, you girls can't recall much about your home either?" Goofy asked the two girls beside them, having been told as an aside that IF and Compa are also Drifters.
"Yessy!" Compa said rather happily. "I can remember living with my grandpa and signing up for nursing classes. Other than that, I can't remember much about where I live."
"I remember being a member of a guild" IF recalled. "Which one, I don't remember."
"And I remember being the leader of a group" Artisan mentioned. "What group it was, well, you can take a guess."
"Have you figured anything out?" Donald asked.
"We've been trying to survey out through the Lanes Between." Aerith answered. "But so far, nothing has hit her yet..."
Traverse Town – Green Room
"..."
Seeing the boy in a fit of depression, Neptune gets up and walks up to him.
"Hey buck-o. You listenin'?"
No response. He's definitely not a corpse, anyhow.
"Listen, I get that you miss your closest pals. Believe me, if I had pals like yours, I'd feel the same, but that's all the more reason we gotta hustle! They ain't gotta wait for us forever, you know?"
The boy looked at the girl.
"How would you know?"
The girl flashed a grin.
"I don't. But if you kept moving around, I bet you they're doing the same! That's why you can't stop now! Because I won't either."
Neptune then scratched her cheek.
"I mean, sure, I don't know where my home is, what my life was before I came here and all that, but...!"
She raised her Keyblade.
"I made a promise to help someone out, so come heck or high water, I'll keep on going. So, what say you, kiddo? You in?"
The boy stared at the girl.
Then he smiled, raising his Keyblade to intersect with hers.
"That's Sora. Just Sora."
Neptune chuckled. "Okay, Just Sora. You can call me Neptune, or whatever nickname you want."
Sora chuckled back. "Okay then. Nice to meet you, Neptune"
"Still, how'd you get that and still got beat up by Mr. Emo over there?" the girl asked, putting her Keyblade down as she pointed to Leon.
"Actually, Sora won that round. He just passed out after running around all day." the ninja clarified rather cheekily.
"Oooohhhh, so same as me, then! Awesome-sauce!" She raised her right hand. "High-five!"
Sora laughed as he met Neptune's hand in a high-five.
Leon sighed. "Anyway, just tell me when the two of you are ready. We'll meet up with some guests over and-"
"Leon!"
Yuffie's cry interruped them as two of the armored Heartless ambushed them in the room.
"Yuffie, go!"
The ninja ran to the door, leading to the other room. Some could swear they heard a duck yelling for a second there.
"Sora, Neptune, let's go!"
The three pursued the Heartless, who fled by crashing out of the nearby window, all the while the other party stood in confusion...
At the sight of Donald Duck, being perfectly flattened to the wall by the nearby door...
"Ooooohhhhh" Compa cheered at the sight. "Flatty ducky!"
Traverse Town – Third District
"Think we lost them?" Sora asked his companion.
"Methinks that these creeps are setting up an ambush here..." Neptune declares.
"So, they're getting smart now..." the boy complained.
"Hmmm...My Nep Senses are tingling..." the girl said, poking the sides of her forehead with her fingers. "They're sensing an important, live-changing event is about to occur around our corner..."
Meanwhile, above near the watchtower, the party of four braced themselves as the armored creatures from earlier surround them.
"Geez, are these the Heartless guys?" Goofy asked, ducking behind his shield.
"They don't look very cute..." Compa said, wielding a comically large syringe. "Or intimidating..."
"Don't let your guard down, guys" IF warned, brandishing her twin qatars. "They have strength in numbers..."
Donald snickered. "In that case, I've got the spell for them!"
As soon as he fired it off, the spell sent their whole group flying...
"What the...?"
...and tumbling down towards the two figures in the square!
"WOAH!"
"WAAAAAHHH!"
OOMPH!
"Geez, why do I get the feeling this kind of thing should happen to black-haired tsunderes?" Neptune complained as she felt the weight on her back. "You doin' okay, Sora?"
"I...think so..." the boy managed to say.
However, the duck and dog that landed on them managed to see the boy's weapon.
"Oh, the key!"
"Look, Iffy!" Compa exclaimed as she looked at the tiny girl's weapon. "We found it!"
"Yeah..." IF replied, sweat dropping from her head. "Two of them, in fact..."
The ground then started to shake, and after a while, the area they are in is sealed off by pillars. The armored Heartless then appeared and surrounded the group.
"Aw-right!" Neptune taunted them. "Time for them to get nepped!"
Two of the Heartless began to gang up on IF, who deftly dodged their slow and clumsy attacks, and launched swift slices of her own.
"You're too slow!"
Taking one out, she proceeded to dodge the attack of the second enemy, which caused it to trip. Slow and clumsy, remember?
"I got it!"
Compa rushed up and planted her giant syringe on the Heartless' behind, and with a press down on the top of her weapon(?), she takes out her prey.
"Nice one!" IF cheered.
"Thank you!" Compa returned.
Meanwhile, Goofy was trading blows with another of the Heartless. Thanks to their slow and clumsy nature, the knight was able to parry it's attacks and...
"Here I go!"
...with a heavy Charge, he took out his attacker and his two reinforcements soon after!
Meanwhile, Donald was busy staring down at two of the armored Heartless, daring the other to make a move.
They tried to pounce on the duck, but he leapt forward, right between the openings the two Heartless made.
When the two Heartless were left in a pile, the wizard prepared a Fire spell and roasted the Heartless but good.
"Too easy!"
Neptune was busy clashing with one of the armored Heartless. They certainly fought a little better than the ant-like ones, that's for sure.
But nothing a good ol' Nep combo can't solve.
"Hah!" Downward slash!
"Hey!" Diagonal slash to the right!
"Hi-yah!" Leaping strike finisher!
"All over!" Neptune cheered with a spin for her victory. "You doin' good, buck-o?"
"I got this!"
Sora was busy clashing with one of the armored Heartless as well. Not wanting to lag behind, he launched his strike.
"Huh!" Downward slash!
"Hah!" Forward thrust!
"Hoh!" Downward horizontal finisher!
"Take that!" the boy spun his Keyblade in celebration.
"Phew" Neptune sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Nice work, team!"
IF, however, remained wary. "Don't drop your guard yet!"
As soon as she said so, large pieces of purple armor suddenly dropped to the ground and started to assemble itself. With giant metallic boots for feet, giant claws for hands, a large cylindrical torso for a body and a silver faceplate for it's head, the Guard Armor faces down it's foes.
"So, this is the boss of the world, huh?" Neptune said in excitement.
"Looks kinda tough" Goofy said, raising his defenses.
"Stay sharp, guys!" Donald rallied the group as they charged against the boss.
The Guard Armor is a tough customer. With its detached body parts, it can handle the party of six with ease.
Neptune, Donald and Compa tried to attack the feet first, but their constant stomping proved fierce resistance.
"Ack! Stop stomping around!" the duck complained.
"You're hurt!" Compa cried. "Let me heal you guys!"
With swift actions, the aspiring nurse patched up Neptune and Donald's wounds.
"Wow! That was nifty work!" the girl in the parka praised.
"I feel all better now!" the duck cheered.
The nurse giggled. "Thanks so much!"
Meanwhile, Sora, Goofy and IF are busy jumping up to deal with the hands, but their scratches and spinning assaults made it difficult to concentrate.
"Won't these things stay put!?" the guild member complained.
"Why don't we try tiring them out?" the boy with the key suggested.
"In that case, I have an idea!"
The dog with the shield bid his time until the claws were about to start their spinning attack. Just as it did, Goofy charged with his shield and parried the attack, causing the hands to recoil!
"I got it! Go!"
Wasting no time, Sora and IF jumped up and slashed down the hands, wiping them out from the fight!
"Nice going!" the boy cheered with a thumbs up.
"Pretty clever of you!" the guild girl praised.
Goofy could only give out his signature chuckle.
"Goofy! Get back!"
Hearing his friend's call, the knight leapt to the left, allowing his fellow guard's charged Fire spell to hit the Armor's feet, eliminating them from the game.
"The limbs are gone!" Neptune cheered.
"Now it's just the torso!" IF exclaimed.
However, the Armored Torso started to move erratically...
"Guys...I think Mr. Heartless' pretty mad..." Compa whimpered, not liking what's happening.
...by spinning around and around until it was charging around the arena like an uncontrollable twister!
"IT'S SPINNING LIKE CRAZZZYYYY!" Neptune yelled as she braced for cover.
"RUN FOR IT!" the guild agent yelled.
And so, the group immediately ran around like headless chickens against the Guard Armor's wrath.
"HELP ME, IFFY!"
Which somehow got Compa hanging on to it for dear life!
"Compa!"
"I got her!"
"I'll help!"
Goofy and Sora immediately stepped in front of the Armor and began to impede it's charge with all their might!
"Grrrrrr!"
"Hrrrrkkkk!"
The two felt their legs giving out, their feet being pushed back, but they did not relent. They stood their ground as the Armor's spinning began to slow.
"It's working!" Neptune cheered. "Go, guys, go!"
After a couple of seconds of guarding, the Armor was stopped and Compa was thrown off to the side...
"WAAAAAKKK"
...and right unto Donald.
"Oooohhhhh, I'm seeing stars..." the nurse managed to say as she felt soothing energy healing her.
As Compa regained her composure, she looked to see a staff held by a duck that she is currently sitting upon.
"Eeep! Sorry, ducky!" the nurse apologized as she tried to help the duck up.
"At least you're safe..." Donald managed to say as he was helped up.
"The thing's about to charge up again!" IF shouted. "Let's finish it off now!"
"Count me in!" Neptune rallied.
"O souls of the Netherworld, burn my foes" the gulld member chanted as flames surround the Heartless. "Demon Flames!"
The ensuring fire attack damaged the armor enough that it's concentration broke, leaving it open to one more attack!
"I'll finish this! Cross Combination!"
Two diagonal slashes!
Then a power thrust!
And then a downward slash, followed by a heaving attack that sends her opponent into the air!
Just as she jumped up, she was joined by Sora.
Seeing each other in the air, they nodded and performed one last attack on the Guard Armor...
"HAAAAAH!"
...sending it convulsing to the ground. As it floated around in desperation, it stopped after a while and as its inanimate remains faded away, a giant floating heart flew away, now freed from its captor.
A Few Seconds Later...
"So, you guys are looking for us?"
Donald and Goofy nodded at Sora's questions as the boy points to himself and Neptune.
"More like looking for the weapons they're holding..." IF murmured.
"But those Keyblades are very picky with their wielders, so they're pretty much a package deal!" Compa said.
"That's true"
The two turned around to see Artisan, Leon and Yuffie, regrouping with the party.
"They too have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade" Leon said as Yuffie nodded.
"Hey, why don't you both come with us?" the walking, talking dog suggested. "We can go to other worlds on our vessel."
"Vessel? Like...a SPACESHIP!?" Neptune asked with stars in her eyes.
"Yup!" Goofy confirmed.
The girl squealed in delight. "You hear that, Sora? SPACE TRAVEL! We're going to outer space and into other WORLDS!? This is like, the awesom-est of awesome-sauces! Doesn't that excite you!?"
Sora tried to put a smile. "Y-Yeah..."
Neptune, however, can see the strain on his face. "Come on, these guys are offering to give us a ride around. We can go find your BFF's out there."
"Can we?" Sora asked, still not convinced. "Can we really find Riku and Kairi out there?"
"Of course!" Donald answered.
This got the boy's face lit up.
"Are you sure?" Goofy whispered to his companion.
"Who knows?" Donald replied, pointing to the two Keyblade Wielders. "But we need them to come with us to help us find the King."
"Sora, Neptune, go with them." Leon urged. "Especially if you want to go find your friends."
"He's right. They're not gonna wait around for us, so less moping, more moving, or something" Neptune said with her 'sagely' advice.
"But!"
Donald suddenly said.
"You can't come looking like that."
His companion looked at him.
"No frowning. No sad face, okay?" the duck said with a calm a tone he could muster.
"Yeah!" Goofy said with a big smile. "Ya gotta look funny like us!"
As Donald pushed the A-hyucking Goofy off, he gives his smile. "This boat runs on happy faces!"
"Happy?" Sora repeated.
"Yeah. Come on, buck-o! Give us your toothiest grin! Lesse those pearly whites, Sora! Are you man or ARE YOU MAN!?" Neptune roared.
"Are they trying to cheer him up or forcing him to smile?" IF wondered.
"They say you shouldn't keep smiling for too long" Compa advised, touching her cheek bones. "It will stretch your cheek bones too much and your face will hurt."
"Good thing I don't smile a lot, then" the girl in the blue coat said offhandly.
The nurse-in-training could only shake her head. "You lead a sad life, Iffy..."
Meanwhile, Sora was out there, giving his 'best' smile yet. Well, more like stretching his own to force the biggest smile he could give, but hey, effort.
But judging from the loud laughter given out by Neptune, Donald and Goofy, it cheered them up at least.
"That's one funny face!" Goofy said.
"Ahahahaha! Oh man! Way to force yourself, dude! That...was...hilarious." Neptune guffawed.
"Very funny, guys" Sora sighed. "Okay. Why not? I'll go with you guys."
"And I will be going too." Neptune declared. "Where he goes, I go. Where I go, he goes!"
"Think you guys got room for two more?"
The group looked to see IF and Compa approaching them.
"We want to go with you all!" Compa requested.
"Sure!" Goofy accepted. "The more, the merrier!"
"Wait a sec!" Donald interrupted. "Our ship can handle up to three passengers! We need time to adjust for four, let alone six!"
"Oh, that won't be an issue." Artisan declared as she approached the group. "I've already requested Cid to modify the cockpit of your ship. It should be big enough for all six of you."
"WHAT!?" the duck screamed in protest. "Since when!?"
"Several hours ago" the woman in white said nonchalantly. "I figured this is how things will go, so I placed a request in advance."
"But..."
"Now, ducky. Remember that your King already approves of any meaningful changes to your ship as part of our deal." she then looked to Leon. "Right?"
Leon hmph'ed in response. A confirmatory answer.
"There you have it!" Artisan said. "Don't worry. They're also doing something for me, so think of them as tag-alongs, if it worries your feathers so much."
Donald could channel his frustration one way, by wiping his face so hard that his beak recoiled like a cartoon character would.
"Fine" the duck said, wagging his finger at the two. "But you two better do your part here! This is no pleasure cruise!"
"That won't be an issue." IF said confidently. "When it comes to information gathering and keeping you dunderheads straight, I am you gal."
"And if you need your booboo's treated or a nice meal prepped, Compa's your girl!" the nurse pitched in.
"Well, this is turning out to be quite the gathering, huh?" Neptune chirped, putting her hands on her hips. "Don't you think so, Sora?"
He chuckled, rubbing his nose. "Yeah. We're gonna have a great time. I know it!"
"Oh well, let's do this!" Donald declared as he puts his hand forward. "Donald Duck."
Goofy followed suit. "Name's Goofy"
"Compa's my name!" the nurse placed her hand on top of theirs.
"Call me IF." the guild agent followed as well.
"I'm Sora." the boy raised his hand as he looks at his fellow Keyblade Wielder.
"And I...am...Neptune!" the girl proudly declared as she and Sora placed their hands on the pile.
"All for one and one for all!"
And thus, the party of six was formed. These heroes and heroines would go on to many worlds in search of their friends while aiding others along the way.
This...is their story.
? ? - ?
In the middle of a dark room, a green circle showing the party of six is displayed. Surrounding this circle is a group of dastardly villains. Who could have the charisma(=underhanded deals) to gather these vile figures in one place?
"Those little squirts took down that Heartless!" a man with the voice of a snaky oil-salesman said in frustration. "Who'd have thought it?"
"Such is the power of the Keyblade" another man wielding a snake staff said smugly. "The children's strength are not their own."
"Why don't we turn them into Heartless?" a woman laughed evilly, her tentacles keeping her afloat. "That'll settle things quick enough."
"And those blasted animals are the King's lackeys" a pirate said, pointing his hook at the duck and dog talking in the group. "Swoggle me eyes, they're all bilge rates by the look of them."
"Personally, I'm eyeing those two Drifters over there" the first man smoothly said, pointing to the two other girls. "Those two are quite the special case. I know I got my fair share of them back home. I tell ya, those gals will become trouble down the line, ugh."
"Better claim them fast!" the woman with tentacles dared. "Those two would surely have delectable souls for my chamber!"
"Would you two focus here!?" the pirate scolded the two. "These brats are gonna cause trouble on all our decks, ya hear!?"
"Why worry so much? Not knowing what happens next is part of the fun!" another man, or rather, an oversized bag, boasted. "Then again, you are no prize yourself."
This, along with the bag's mocking laughter, set the pirate off. "Shut up!"
"Enough!"
The villains looked to the source of the voice, an evil fairy with green skin, a black robe draped around her, black horns and a staff with an evil green orb.
"The Keyblade has chosen them." the witch said. "Will it be they who conquers the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow them? Either way, they could be quite useful..."
"I agree"
The gathering of villains about-faced to see another witch, one with an oversized black hat and purple skin and goth makeup on her face. On her side is a peculiarly large tome.
She is definitely an old lady.
"The Keyblade is said to bring forth untold catastrophe at the wrong hands. Without the proper guidance, they will surely bring more trouble than their worth."
"What, you think you can do better, Ms. Latecomer, eh?" the first man asked rudely.
She only placed a finger of her lip. "Wait and see."
Traverse Town – First District
"And this is from all of us"
Aerith handed the group a bag of 1000 munny.
"Be sure to spend wisely!" Yuffie warned them. "The wrong purchase could mean your doom down the line!"
"I wouldn't worry about that" IF boasted. "Between me and Compa, we'll make sure that our shopping lists are well-organized."
"Speaking of Compa..." Sora wondered. "Where are she and Neptune?"
"She said she's going to treat her wounds from the last fight" Donald recalled.
Goofy hummed. "I wonder what's taking them so long..."
"HELP!"
The party looked past Leon's group, seeing a familiar someone running down to them.
The sight made Donald and Goofy shield Sora's eyes immediately, while the boy did the same for them with his own two hands.
"Someone, save me from this torture!" Neptune, who is mostly wrapped around in bandages like a mummy, pleaded.
"Nep-Nep! Stay still!" Compa called out, holding an entire spool of bandages. "Your booboos won't heal if you don't rest!"
Neptune gasped. "She's coming back! Sora, hide me!"
"HEY!" IF shouted to the girl with the key. "There are guys here! At least dress up first!"
As the scene before them devolved into chaos, Leon's group could only think one thing.
"Will they really be okay?" Yuffie voiced out their thoughts.
"I'm sure they'll do fine..." Aerith said. "I hope..."
Leon sighed, closing his eyes as he pinched his nose. "This will be a long journey for them, won't it?"
Artisan chuckled. "Maybe. But it won't be a boring one, that's for sure..."
And there we go! Now our story can truly begin! Anyway, the main reason I thought up of this story is because of the common points between the two trios. You have the happy hero (Sora & Neptune), the dopey, well-meaning one (Goofy & Compa) and the one trying to keep the group straight wearing blue (Donald & IF).
With that out of the way, there's one more thing I need to present. Since this story is based on a numbered title, these segments will show up as well! That's right, Neptunia fans, it's time for...
NEPSTATION
Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! Hah! It's feel so good to say that after so many years. How long has it been since we last did this skit? Hm? Ten years!? Get out!
Histoire: Neptune, you're still live on air...
Neptune: *clears throat* Sorry 'bout that! Anywho, since we're here now, lemme introduce you to today's co-host, my new travel buddy Sora! Say hi to everyone, buck-o!
Sora: H-Hi there...
Neptune: *giggles* C'mon, kiddo. Don't tell you get nervous when we're in live television or something?
Sora: I-I can't help it! So many people are out there, watching us. What would they think about me? About us?
Neptune: Well, here's my piece of wisdom for ya. Just try imagining them as a vegetable garden or something. That usually works.
Sora: Okay...*deep breath* Okay! I think I got it!
Neptune: Right. Now then, since we got started, let's actually get down to the news!
*an image of three Shadows with the Heartless Emblem appeared onscreen*
Neptune: Warning! Strange monsters called Heartless have been appearing throughout numerous worlds! If you see any of these creepy crawlies about, do not panic and calmly find a good spot to hide. If you can go contact help, please do so, or you'll become Heartless Chow, and believe us, it is not good chow...
Sora: Have you...actually tried that?
Neptune: ...Anyway, onto the next topic.
Sora: Don't cut me off!
*an image of a certain guild agent, whose eyes were crossed out, dealing with two moogles appeared onscreen. The guild agent's hand was emptied out of her munny*
Neptune: Moogle deals are rising throughout the stock market. You'd think with all this Heartless hub-a-dub, they'd at least hand out some products for charity, right? But nope, they're doubling down their business deals and are developing haggling countermeasures to, I quote, 'prevent exploitation from unsavory parties in the midst of a crisis'.
Sora: Recently, we got a complaint from one of their usual customers regarding this. She said 'These darn moogles are too cautious and greedy! These should really start decreasing prices if they don't want to lose customers at this rate!' She must be really having a hard time, huh?
Neptune: Yup, yup! Which serves as another reminder to all our viewers in times of crisis. Ration your belongings, be they food, clothes, munny, your consoles, whatever you deem precious like a goblin! Save them and keep them safe and close like a teddy bear! You'll thank me later!
Sora: Okay! Now, onto the last news segment!
*an image of three little ducklings, wearing a red, blue, and green shirt and cap, appeared onscreen, holding their hands out in joy. Their eyes are however, blocked out with black cross marks*
Sora: Recently, a small shop has opened up, ran by the Three Little Duckling, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Funded and invested by the rising Scrooge International Trading Enterprises, this store has all your basic needs at affordable prices.
Neptune: That's right! From food ingredients, to well-made potions and ethers, these little duckies have it all!
Sora: Come over and purchase your needs today, and they promise that your purchase will be made worth it!
Sora ...How did we turn from complaining about sales to promoting another here?
Neptune: Hey, if people are desperate for alternatives, we'll be sure as heck provide one to them! You know what they say about desperation and all that, right?
Sora: I don't know. Anyway! That's all the news we got for you today!
Neptune: But we couldn't just end our broadcast like this!
Histoire: Wait! But...
Neptune: That's why we're doing something a little special for all you readers!
Sora: We are!?
Neptune: Hm-hm! If you leave a review here, we'll read the author's comment to you right here live in our next live broadcast! How's that for reader interaction, eh?
Sora: That...sounds kinda outdated, don't you think?
Neptune: Hey, the site's still running, and we're here to provide, so provide we shall!
Sora: I guess...
Neptune: So leave your thoughts out there and we'll be happy to hear them...most of them anyway.
Sora: And that's all we have...for real this time, right?
Neptune: Yup-yup! So, without further ado...
Neptune and Sora: See you next time!