Post by Hayate on Jul 28, 2011 16:00:34 GMT -5
Three paths, three destinies… Independent yet intertwined… Where will the road lead them…?
Kingdom Hearts ~another side~
[/size][/center]Kingdom Hearts ~another side~
~ Report 12: Diverging Paths ~[/b][/u]
The destruction of Radiant Garden had reached far across the oceans of the worlds. Denizens of worlds close by would be treated to the grand sight of a meteor shower -- an ironically pleasing view to coincide with Radiant Garden’s tragic fate.
Their tearful reunion short-lived, Ciel, Roche, and Marin are thrown to opposing corners of the galaxy.
One such corner: a great, crooked tower of ochre walls and viridian rooftops standing atop a lone floating isle and encircled by an abundance of trees. In the atmosphere of everlasting sunset drift a collection of navy blue clouds and brilliant stars of gold.
Through the large wooden doors leading into the tower, an individual emerges: a tall elderly man with long, gray hair and beard, wearing billowing robes of purest blue and matching cone-shaped hat. The man exits his tower home having been drawn outside by an unfamiliar presence. There, at the inner edge of the tree-lined courtyard, his eyes happen upon an unconscious teenage girl with long, disheveled hair of maroon.
As she lay, Marin exhales short, aching breaths, unable to move on her own after being forcibly thrown from the Nautilus. Soft murmurs of “Ciel…” and “Roche…” escape her parted lips.
The man at the top of the tower steps looks upon the girl’s form intensely. “…”
…A short time later, after Marin’s lifeless body is moved to a soft bed, the girl incessantly shifts about beneath the covers as if suffering from a bad dream. Waking in a cold sweat, she opens her eyes slowly so they may adjust to the light and lets out a heavy sigh of relief, preparing to drift back to sleep. But with a double-take of sorts, Marin quickly sits up, glancing around to realize she wasn’t in her bedroom as hoped. ‘Where am I…?’, she instinctively wonders. Marin rises out of bed and moves toward the nearest window, taking notice of the multitude of trees outside and her high elevation; the ground had to be at least four stories below.
To her rear, a door creaks open, and a petite woman in lime green attire enters carrying a tray of freshly brewed tea. “Oh!” Surprised to see Marin up and about, the lady nearly drops the tray. “You’ve finally awoken. Thank heavens; we were all worried sick.”
Looking to the door behind her, Marin meets the lady’s eye… “!!!”…and nearly goes teary-eyed. “Fauna!” Breaking into a light, joyful jog, Marin runs up to hug the short lady in green.
Reasonably caught off-guard by this, the good fairy Fauna returns the warm embrace. “Hah. It’s good to see you doing well too, dear.”
“…Ah!” Just as quickly as she wrapped her arms around Fauna, Marin frees her of her hold and meets Fauna’s eye again. “Maleficent attacked Radiant Garden! She said she’d ‘done away with’ Aurora’s castle! Is that true!? Is the castle really gone!? What about Flora and Merryweather?!? And Prince Phillip?!?”
“Settle down, child…!”, cries a flustered Fauna. “My sisters are just fine; they’re waiting for us downstairs. Come. We’ll explain everything.”
“…” With a hesitant nod, Marin calms herself and follows Fauna through the door and down the steps.
One level below, the redhead enters a tower chamber that’s been made into a wardrobe room. A number of mirrors, fabrics, textiles, and pieces of knitting instruments litter the chamber. Before Marin stand Fauna and her sister fairies in red and blue Flora and Merryweather, who appear to have made themselves quite at home in this strange tower. “Not long after you left us, Marin…”, Flora starts, “…Maleficent had regained the strength she’d lost during yours and Prince Phillip’s battle with her, and launched a second attack on the castle. It caught us completely by surprise. Her near-inexhaustible army of Heartless had completely overrun the castle. …We didn’t stand a chance.”
“Oh, my God…”, Marin whispers in quiet horror.
Merryweather continues, “We fought off the foul beasts as best we could, but there were just too many. It was during this that Maleficent got Princess Aurora alone and cast a spell that plunged her into a deep slumber -- our magic wasn’t powerful to neutralize it. Maleficent had secured Aurora…and the castle finally fell. I’m afraid we’re not sure what became of Prince Phillip; we were separated when the Heartless invaded. I fear…the darkness has claimed him as well.”
Fauna wraps up the tale with, “After our world sank into the darkness, Flora, Merryweather, and I found refuge from the Heartless here with our dear friend Yen Sid. He may seem standoffish, but he’s really a kind and generous man.”
“…This is my fault…”
“Hmm? Did you say something, dearie?”
With an expression of heart-wrenching guilt, Marin falls to her knees, and the tears start to form. “I’m so sorry, you three…! I should’ve put an end to Maleficent when I had the chance…! This is all my fault!”, she sobs.
“What are you saying, Marin? You aren’t to blame for--”
“Yes, I am! If I had stopped Relena before this all started, she wouldn’t have been able to spread her poison to other worlds, and Maleficent wouldn’t have become strong enough to take Aurora prisoner and take over Hollow Bastion! Everything leads back to me! I’m the cause of it all! It’s because I’m so weak!” Marin falls over to her knees and buries her face in her palms, appearing to plead for the good fairies’ forgiveness. “I’m so sorry!”, she cries hysterically. “I don’t deserve to be a wielder of the Keyblade!”
The fairy sisters share a fleeting glance with each other before looking upon Marin with deep sympathy. They were moved, if not a little embarrassed, by her acceptance of all the blame, regardless of who was involved and to what effect. As she steps toward the weeping girl, Flora kneels down before her, picking her head up and wiping her tears away with a handkerchief. “Now, now, child. We’ll have none of that self-pity talk. What happened to Princess Aurora and our home was not your fault, and you are most certainly not weak. I won’t have you believing otherwise.”
“But--”
“No buts. As long as Maleficent doesn’t have the power of the Keyblade at her disposal, Aurora is safe. Knowing this, we can move forward with our heads held high.”
“…”Albeit undecidedly, Marin takes Flora’s kind and reassuring words to heart and rises to her feet. “…Yeah. You’re right. The others would probably laugh at me if I gave up this early. I can still do some good with the Keyblade, right?”
Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather all smile and nod their heads, showing their undying support for the girl.
At this time, a fifth presence makes itself known, entering from the side with, “It would appear you’ve found your answer.”
Turning to her 10 o’clock, Marin comes face-to-face with the elderly man in blue who had found her outside the tower. The severity of his wide-eyed expression sends chills down her spine.
The good fairies aren’t nearly as startled. “Ah. Hello, Master Yen Sid.”, Fauna greets.
Stepping forward, the man known as Yen Sid addresses Marin. “Marin, is it? I am pleased to see you are well. I’ve been waiting for you for to awaken so we may have a talk.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Think nothing of it. …Would you excuse us, ladies? I would speak to the Keyblade girl alone in my study.”
“Of course.”
Exiting through the same doorway he’d entered through, Yen Sid departs for the next chamber over. Marin follows close behind…
…but not before being momentarily stopped by the good fairies. “Oh! One moment, child.”, says Merryweather.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“We have something for you. We were waiting until you woke up so we could give it to you. Hold out your hands.”
As Marin does as instructed, the fairies wave their magic wands in unison and produce an orb of magic in her hands. The orb had a gentle warmth to it and shone with the fairies’ signature colors of warm scarlet, calm jade, and cool azure. “What is it…?”, Marin asks.
“A gift.”, answers Merryweather.
Fauna adds, “A great power which, in times of desperation, will grant you the strength you need to prevail over the darkness.”
“You are not weak, Marin…”, Flora begins anew, “…because you are not alone. Believe in your friends’ strength just as they believe in yours…and this power will bring you great victory.”
Marin looks up from the orb’s vibrant glow and gives a smile to her fairy friends. “…Thank you, ladies. I won’t let you down. I promise.”
“We know, my dear. We have the utmost faith in you.”
…In his study one room over, Yen Sid stands at the open window with hands clasped behind his back, appearing deep in thought. Gazing up to the twilight sky, he sternly laments over the gaps between the stars -- worlds that once were but have long since blinked out. Even as Marin enters from the side, his eyes remain affixed to the skies above. “…Such providence that the stars have blessed you and your friends with. Not one genuine wielder of the Keyblade, but three. And you, child…” Pausing for a moment, Yen Sid faces away from the window and meets Marin’s eye. “…You demonstrate a most promising aptitude for it -- one worthy of the Mark of Mastery, I’d venture to say.”
“T-Thanks…I think.”, Marin timidly says. “Who are you?”
Yen Sid moves toward his chair and seats himself. “My name is Yen Sid. I am the keeper of this tower. Like you, I too was once a chosen wielder of the Keyblade, but have long since discarded the title of “master”. Now, I am but a humble sorcerer, tasked with keeping a close watch on the light and the darkness, ensuring they stay in equal balance. …However, in light of recent events, it would seem that some aspire to disrupt this balance, employing the power of the Heartless.”
“Maleficent…and Relena… I fought her as best as I could…but I guess my best wasn’t good enough. And because of it, Aurora…!” Down at her sides, Marin’s hands quiver in helplessness.
“I’m aware of your efforts. You and your friends pursued Relena across many worlds, met many people, and made many new companions. But in doing so, you violated a most sacred and honor-bound doctrine.”
“Doctrine…?”
“Ever since the Heartless’ arrival, and the barriers dividing the worlds were destroyed, certain decrees were put into effect so as to keep the worlds segregated. Perhaps most paramount of these decrees is this: Those who elect to travel between worlds are not to involve themselves in the affairs of those worlds, or to reveal the existence of other worlds to their inhabitants. Rulers of each world have been made aware of this principle, and have thus far abided by it. This holds especially true for Keyblade wielders, whose duty of protecting the worlds from the Heartless requires interplanetary travel.”
This was the first Marin had ever heard of such a rule. And with each world visitation, she had broken it. Lowering her head, she repents, “I… I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know.”
A forgiving Yen Sid returns, “It is alright, my child. You simply acted as your heart dictated, and your actions have not disrupted the world order in any way.”
“But Aurora! And Radiant Garden!”
“The falls of the Enchanted Dominion and the Radiant Garden, as well as the capture of Princess Aurora, were all unforeseen occurrences. Unfortunate occurrences, but unforeseen all the same. All will be returned to as it was when Maleficent and her evil are extinguished.”
“Sounds good to me! I’ve got a score to settle with that witch anyhow!”
“Maleficent is not your concern. She will be dealt with in time; the Princesses of Heart are not in any immediate danger. Moreover, you’ve your own dilemma to see to, do you not? Finding your friends and putting an end to Relena’s malice.”
“Where is Relena, Yen Sid? Every time I think I’ve finally tracked her down, she manages to get away. I’m starting to think she’s the one following me, and she only shows herself when there’s fun to be had at my expense.”
“I am unsure of her location, I’m afraid. I sense an overwhelming force of darkness, but it comes from multiple sources. She could be at any one of them.”
“What about Ciel and Roche? They got away safely, right? Where are they now?”
“Your little brother is safe, that much is assured. He’s amongst allies. Your friend Ciel, however, has been thrown far, and he now lies somewhere in the realm that bestrides both the light and the dark -- somewhere…in between.”
“Do you know where exactly?”
“I cannot say for certain. But as long as his heart remains unyielding against the darkness, your light will surely lead you to his.”
“…If you say so.” Her tone may have suggested doubt, but Marin was quite relieved in actuality. She may not have known Ciel’s precise location, but simply knowing he was alive put her heart at ease. And if he escaped Radiant Garden’s collapse, so must’ve Kairi, she thought. “…?” Just then, the out-of-place sound of a working engine turns her attention past Yen Sid and toward the window behind him. Within moments, a space vessel rises from below and hovers just outside. “The Nautilus!”
“Be careful on your way, Marin.”, says Yen Sid in his bid farewell.
“…Thank you, Master Yen Sid.” Moving forward around Yen Sid’s desk, Marin hops up to the windowsill and prepares to jump to the cockpit. But one last question lingered at the back of her mind -- a question she desperately desired the answer to. “…About Relena…”, she starts to the elderly sorcerer. “Back in Aubade Town, I told Ciel, now that Relena was a Heartless, she was beyond saving. I guess I always held onto the hope that I was wrong. But after running into her at Radiant Garden… I was right, wasn’t I? There really is no way to save her, is there…?”
“…” Keeping silent, Yen Sid turns away and solemnly closes his eyes…
…which, oddly enough, was all the answer Marin needed. “…I see.”, she closes off with. With a firm push off the windowsill, Marin falls into the pilot’s seat with a soft plop and ascends to the star-spangled sky above Yen Sid’s tower. The Nautilus soon pulls away from the world and takes off for the far reaches of the Lanes Between. As the numerous worlds and countless stars pass by like streaks of light, Marin dwells on Yen Sid’s knowledgeable words.
“…As long as his heart remains unyielding against the darkness, your light will surely lead you to his…”
“‘Somewhere in between’… Between the light and the dark?”, she contemplates. Focusing away from what was in front of her, the Keyblade-wielding redhead closes her eyes and attempts to ‘feel out’ Ciel’s light in the black abyss of space.
‘Ciel… Wherever you are… I’ll be there soon…’
…As Marin’s search across the cosmos resumes, another Aubade Town local’s search has yet to begin, finding himself in a situation much like that of the world prior. As little Roche lets out soft breaths and groans, a small assembly of unfamiliar voices converse inaudibly over him. “…Ah!” Stirred from his daze when something cold and wet presses against his cheek, the boy finds himself in the immediate company of a friendly dog with tangerine fur and long, black, floppy ears, having been awoken by its lick. Glancing up, Roche meets the eye of three additional odd-looking characters: a short white-feathered duck in blue magician’s clothing, a tall floppy-eared dog in knight’s armor, and a short large-eared mouse wearing an elegant gown of pink and red. Compared to his encounter with the Heartless Extermination Squad, these individuals appeared far less intimidating, allowing for a somewhat smoother meet-and-greet. “Uh… Hello.”, Roche uneasily greets.
“G’mornin’!”, says the canine knight back.
Attempting to rise to his feet, Roche quickly stumbles from dizziness and the stinging pain in his sides.
“Wak!”, squawks the duck in blue, rushing over to catch his fall. “Take it easy!”
“S-Sorry. Thanks.” Now standing steady, the 13-year-old finally takes notice of his new locale: yet another castle -- color scheme similar to the Enchanted Dominion, but with slightly warped towers that gave it a cartoony look and atmosphere. To his rear was a grand bookcase filled with a vast collection of books; it covered the whole of the west wall. “What is this place? And who are you guys?”
“You’re in King Mickey’s castle.”, the knight starts again. “Name’s Goofy. This is Donald…”, he continues, referring to the quacking mage. “…and this here’s Queen Minnie.”
“Q-Queen!?” Then, without thinking, Roche lowers his arms to his sides and politely bows. “Sis says to always bow when meeting important people! It’s, um, a pleasure to meet you! My name’s Roche!”
Minnie, Donald, and Goofy have themselves a short laugh at the gesture. “Your ‘Sis’ taught you well, Roche, but you can relax.”, the little queen insists. “Feel free to address me as you would a close friend. We found you out in the courtyard after your Gummi Ship crashed.”
“The Gummi Ship! That’s right!”, Roche suddenly exclaims. “I can’t stay here! I gotta find Ciel and Marin! They could be hurt or-- Agh!” The boy is cut short when Donald hops upon him and tries to restrain him.
“Settle down, will ya!? You ain’t goin’ nowhere in your condition!”
“G-Get off o’ me, you dumb turkey!”
“Who are you callin’ a turkey, kid!?”
The juvenile struggle only comes to an end when Goofy intervenes, hoisting the two up by their collars. “Now, now. Play nice, you two. We’re all friends here.”
“Hmph!”
“I agree with Donald, Roche. You should wait until your injuries fully heal before going on your way. Besides, the ship you arrived in got hit pretty badly too. Chip and Dale are making repairs on it right now.”
“…Okay…”, Roche concedes, considering his situation.
Goofy sets him and Donald down after making sure the two weren’t going to claw at each other again. “So how’d you end up here anyway?”, he asks the diminutive dirty-blond boy then.
“Well…” Thus does the young Key bearer regale his new friends about the trials and tribulations of his interstellar escapades and how they culminated in his brief reunion with his friends, their subsequent separation, and the Radiant Garden’s collapse.
It wasn’t a tale the three listeners were particularly ecstatic to sit through. “My gosh…”, says Minnie in a shaky whisper. “Radiant Garden is gone?”
“Gawrsh…”, the equally-as-shocked Goofy adds. “Sounds like you’ve been through quite a lot.”
Donald lets out an angry squawk at this news. “Blasted Heartless! They’re nothing but trouble!”
“Well, tragic as it may have been, there’s no point in dwelling on it. At least everyone got away safely. And if you made it out okay, Roche, I’m sure your friends did too.”
“Yeah… You’re prob’ly right. Thanks, Minnie.”
“Now, I’m sure you’re more than eager to find your friends and get back home, so I’m gonna go check Chip and Dale and see how the repairs are coming along. Donald, Goofy, why don’t you give Roche a tour of the castle?”
Goofy and Donald give an assenting salute to their queen. “Sure thing, your Highness!”, replies Goofy.
“Enjoy your stay, Roche. And don’t worry, you’ll be safe from the Heartless here.” With that, Minnie takes her leave of the library and heads for the Gummi hangar.
Left in the company of his new friends Goofy and Donald, Roche excitedly takes them by the hand and pulls them toward the door. “Well, what are we waiting for!? I wanna see everything in this castle!”, he exclaims.
Pushy though the kid was, Goofy couldn’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. Donald, on the other hand, was more than a little annoyed -- and it certainly showed.
The first stop on the castle tour was the audience chamber, which housed King Mickey’s throne. Considering the size of the chamber, it felt more like a ballroom. “So you said this castle belongs to someone named ‘Mickey’?”, the awestruck Roche begins. “Where is he?”
“We’re not really sure.”, Goofy answers. “He sent us a letter that said he was ‘investigating the growing darkness’ and ‘looking for a friend of his that disappeared’.”
“Hmm…”
Approaching the left side of Mickey’s throne, Goofy turns to face the child. “Hey, Roche. You wanna see somethin’ really cool?”
“‘Cool’? Totally!”
“A-hyuck! Okay then! Hold onto yer--!”
“GOOFY!!!”, Donald shrieks, leaping in to stop Goofy from doing whatever it was he was about to do. “You know the rules! No one from outside the kingdom is allowed inside the Hall of the Cornerstone!”
“What’s the ‘Cornerstone’…?”
“Nothing! It’s a secret!”
“Oh, come on! Aren’t I a guest in your castle?”
“Aw, phooey! Let’s go! There’s nothing else to see here!”
As Goofy and Donald walk past toward the door they entered through, Goofy gives an apologetic look to their guest. Roche pockets his hands and puffs up his cheeks a little in irritation. “Stingy little goose…”, he grumbles under his breath before stepping forward to join them.
Just past the colonnade, the trio reaches stop #2 on the castle tour: the courtyard, where Roche’s body had fallen upon crash-landing in the NORA. As they enter the sun-drenched garden, Roche is treated to a both remarkable and amusing sight: a great field of green hedges, big band topiary, a rainbow of flowers, and a small-scale hedge of King Mickey’s castle in the center to complete the landscape. “Cool…”, Roche utters with eyes alight in amazement.
“Sure is.”, adds Goofy. “This is my favorite part of the castle. Great for takin’ afternoon naps.”
“I bet…”
All of a sudden, as if to disrupt the peace that the courtyard typically observed, a group of portals into the darkness open up before the three, allowing a number of Shadows and Soldiers to pass through and emerge.
“Heartless!?”, Roche cries in shock. “I thought Queen Minnie there weren’t any Heartless here!”
“They only started showin’ up recently! We haven’t told Queen Minnie about ‘em ‘cuz we don’t wanna worry her!”, Goofy explains. As he reaches his hand out, a momentary flash of light coats it, and a shield materializes in his grasp. “C’mon, Donald!”
“Right!”, says Donald, drawing a wizard’s staff in the same manner. “Let’s get to it!”
To the two’s rear, Roche asks, “Can I help?”
“No!”, Donald squeals almost instantly. “You’ll just get in the way! Stay here, and keep outta trouble!”
As Donald and Goofy go to confront the Heartless with their physical and magical might, Roche clenches his hands into tight fists as the duck’s condescending words sink in. “‘Get in the way’, huh? We’ll see about that!”
“…Thunder!”
Donald does away with a couple Shadows with a flourish of lightning, while Goofy elects a more direct approach by barreling down several Soldiers with his ‘battering ram’ shield. Before long, only a single Heartless -- a Bolt Tower -- remained. Donald raises his staff and gives a confident grin. “Piece o’ cake! THUNDER!!!” He calls down a second, stronger bolt of lightning, which the floating Heartless proceeds to absorb into the antenna atop its crown. Temporarily puzzled by this, Donald conjures a third lightning bolt, and again the Bolt Tower absorbs it. “What’s the big idea!?”, squawks the frustrated magician.
Disregarding Donald’s exasperation, the Bolt Tower’s eyes and antenna emit an intense glow of gold. And using the energy it absorbed from Donald’s magic, it calls down a powerful lightning bolt of its own to zap the wizard before it.
Donald’s quack of pain echoes across the courtyard, and Roche shields his eyes from the flashing electric light. When the light finally subsides, Donald is left suffering from burnt robes, singed feathers, and a bout of uncontrollable spasms. “…Ow…”
With the court magician stunned, the Bolt Tower reels its head backward and prepares to finish Donald off with a crushing blow…!
“Firaga!”
The Heartless’ attack is suddenly interrupted, however, by an oncoming sphere of fire, causing it to stagger toward the rear. Roche jumps in and finishes the Bolt Tower off with a vertical slash that severs its body in two along the emblem at its midsection. The Heartless disintegrates into nothing, and Roche plants his feet on the ground…
…with Keyblade in hand.
“A Keyblade…!”, marvels Goofy.
To which the charred Donald adds, “Just like the King’s…!”
Roche turns to his allies with a smirk, propping the Superquake on his shoulder triumphantly. “So…”, he starts, “…what was that about being ‘in the way’?”
With the band of Heartless eradicated, Goofy and Roche share a victorious high-five. “Nice job, Roche! Ya sure showed that Heartless who’s boss!”
“Hehehe…”
In the corner of Goofy’s eye, Donald bitterly faces away and folds his arms. “Hmph. I coulda handled that by myself, y’know. I don’t remember asking for your help.”
By this point, the Keyblade-wielding youngster had just about enough of Donald’s demeanor. “What’s your problem!?”, Roche barks at the magician. “Queen Minnie and Goofy seem to like me just fine, but you’ve been acting like a jerk the whole time I’ve been here! What’d I ever do to you, huh!?”
“My problem is brats like you who stick their noses where they don’t belong! I’m King Mickey’s court magician! Goofy’s the captain of the royal knights! We don’t need help from a little kid like you, so just BUTT OUT!”
Roche goes slightly wide-eyed at Donald’s outburst; while such behavior was expected by other occupants in the castle, it was new to him. Caught off-guard, he becomes tongue-tied, and the courtyard goes silent -- save for Donald’s incensed panting. “‘A little kid’… I’ve been called that my whole life.”, Roche begins again. “That’s all anyone sees when they look at me -- a little kid. And maybe I am. But you know what? I’m more than that. I’m also a Keyblade master. I may be little, but I’ve been fighting the Heartless just as long as you have. And not just me. Ciel, Marin, Squall, Aerith, Yuffie, your King -- just like you, we all have something we want to protect. And we all have something to contribute.” Roche pauses and grasps the Superquake with both hands. “It’s okay to ask for help once in a while; we could all use some every now and then. Even if it’s not a lot, every little bit counts. That’s why I can count on my friends to be there for me when I need ‘em.” Taking another pause, Roche looks up to meet Goofy’s eye. “Goofy’s there when you need him, right? And if you can call me a friend, Donald…you can count on me to be there for you too.”
It was Donald’s turn to be stricken speechless. In more ways than one, the boy standing in front of him reminded him of King Mickey: one who valued friendship over duty, one looking to find light in a universe blanketed by darkness. He glances down at Roche’s extended hand. Would he accept the olive branch or spurn it? “…Um…”
…Just then… “Hey, you guys!”, a high-pitched voice calls out from the side.
The trio turns to face the voice and is approached by a pair of tiny brown-furred chipmunks, seen scurrying across the flower garden as quickly as their little arms and legs could manage. The two critters hop up and down at the trio’s feet, spouting speech that -- to the trio standing above them -- could only be heard as high-pitched, fast-paced gibberish. “W-Whoa! Who are these guys, and why are they talking so fast!?”
“Chip! Dale! Talk slower, would ya!?”
“We said…”, yelps the black-nosed Chip, “…we installed a Radar Gummi on Roche’s ship and detected something moving through hyperspace!”
“Yeah! Movin’ real fast too!”, Dale says, joining in. “It was another Gummi Ship! A model we’d never seen before!”
Another Gummi Ship? Of an unfamiliar model? Quickly walking over, Roche kneels down to Chip and Dale’s level. “Can you show me?”
“Sure! Just follow us!”
With Chip and Dale leading the group, Roche, Donald, and Goofy are led into the hangar, where Queen Minnie awaited beneath a mountain of machinery. She hears them descend the steps behind her and turns to face them. “There you are. Thank goodness. All these machines and their clicking and humming is making me a little uneasy.”
“Don’t worry, your Highness.”, says Chip. “This won’t take long.”
Dale climbs up onto a computer console and hops about the keyboard to work the keys, causing an abstract image to appear on a large nearby monitor.
Though only a silhouette, Roche recognizes it in an instant. “That’s it! The Nautilus! My sister’s flying that ship! Any idea where she’s going?”
“Dunno. I’m not picking up on any worlds in that general direction. But wherever she’s headin’, she’s sure in a hurry.”
“Your ship’s all fixed up. If you leave now, you can catch up to her!”
“Right! …Uh…how do I get to my ship from here?”
With a short chuckle, Dale replies, “Leave that to us!” Moving over to a more complex control panel then, he pulls at a short lever…
“H-HEY!” …which causes a white hand-shaped crane to snatch Roche up and carry him over to the NORA’s cockpit. “Put me down!”, cries Roche, flailing his arms and legs about. When he’s finally dropped into the pilot’s seat, he stands up to shout at his laughing friends. “Not funny!”
Humorous launch complications aside, Roche was at last ready to take off in the NORA and go after Marin, wherever her present course was currently taking her. The engine starts up, and the ship is lifted up on a conveyor to a position more suited to blasting off. Through the cockpit window, Roche meets his friends’ eyes one last time. As they wave a fond farewell, he returns with an assured thumbs-up. He faces forward, takes a hold of the controls, and cries out, “Here we go—OOOOHHHHHH!!!!!”
In what results in the most graceless launch of all time, the NORA falls through the tube in the floor and is ejected from the hangar’s underside into the Lanes Between.
Chip has himself a short laugh at this as well. “Probably shoulda warned him about that…”
…Meanwhile, somewhere in the depths of the in-between, the last Radiant Garden survivor has yet to awaken from his ordeal, not as fortunate as Roche or Marin to be discovered by an ally and nursed to health. Sometime after parting ways with little Kairi, Ciel winds up here in this strange, never-before-seen realm. The teal-haired lad soon regains consciousness on a cold path of coral and lavender, almost icy to the touch. He exhales a lengthy groan and slowly picks himself up, his arms and legs wobbly and numb. When he manages to kneel upright, he gazes straight ahead to examine his surroundings, however blurry his eyesight was.
The atmosphere was dense with the aroma of light and the stench of darkness.
The sky rippled with an unnatural blend of green, white, and indigo.
And the path at Ciel’s knees zigzagged up to a massive construct: a citadel whose walls burned a dark shade of bronze and towers stretched every which way. Ciel couldn’t tell if he was looking at the building upside-down or right-side up. Not “beautiful and terrifying” like Hollow Bastion -- it seemed like the stuff of nightmares.
As his eyes adjust, Ciel rises to his feet and looks around himself a little more thoroughly. With the exception of the citadel and the short path leading up to it, there was nothing for miles. Black stretched as far as he could see.
“…Where am I…?”, the boy finally utters, failing miserably at masking his fear.
~ Next Report: Lost in Oblivion ~
