Post by Hayate on Oct 18, 2006 20:14:41 GMT -5
Chapter 5: Stratagem
In all of his big-eared glory, King Mickey himself stands before Shiro, Ayane, and Xavi – all open-mouthed, which made Mickey feel a little uncomfortable.
Mickey “Um… Hello?”
Ayane immediately hops out of Shiro’s arms, causing him to fall over, and hovers over Mickey with fanatic-like stars in her eyes.
Ayane “King Mickey! Your Majesty, it’s a true honor to finally meet you!! My name’s Ayane Kiyoshi, and I am a huge admirer of your status!”
Mickey “Uh…”
Xavi “AYANE!!!”
Shiro and Xavi pull Ayane away from Mickey to avoid any further embarrassment.
Shiro “I deeply apologize, your Majesty.”
Xavi “Yeah, Ayane’s expecting her self-control reflex in the mail any day now!”
Ayane “Watch it, Xavi!”
Mickey “It’s…alright…”
Shiro “But, what’s a person of your stature doing here anyway?”
Mickey “I’m the one who contacted you at Origin City!”
Shiro “Wha…?”
Xavi “I KNEW IT!!!”
Only a few seconds later, Leon and Yuffie arrive with a couple of unfamiliar faces.
Leon “Ah. I see you’ve gathered already.”
Yuffie “Now, we can get down to business!”
Shiro “What business, Yuffie? And who’re these guys?”
Leon “Oh, them? Just some new guys on the block who volunteered to help out with the upcoming fight.”
The new guys introduce themselves to Shiro and the others.
Zidane “Hey! The name’s Zidane!”
Garnet “And I’m Garnet. Pleased to meet you.”
Xavi “Helloooooooooo, beautiful!”
Leon “Hmm…”
Ayane “What’s the matter, Leon?”
Leon “I contacted one other person for help earlier, but he’s not here yet.”
Just then, a shadowy figure jumps down from the tower high above the postern and lands on its feet. The figure stands tall before the group, gunblade in hand.
Xavi “YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! YOU CONTACTED HIM!?!?”
Leon “Glad you could join us, Seifer.”
Seifer “I wish the feeling was mutual, Squall.”
Leon “That’s Leon.”
Seifer “Oh, please. You think you can escape your pathetic past simply by changing your name? You’ll always be the same helpless Squall I know.”
Leon “…”
Yuffie “That’s enough, Seifer!!”
Seifer “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”
Shiro and the rest of the group stand in their own world outside the “stirring” conversation.
Zidane “You following any of this?”
Ayane “A while ago, this world was home to Squall and the others. But it was soon taken over by the Heartless, and Squall felt that it was partly his fault. So he changed his name to Leon in order to atone.”
Garnet “Poor Leon…”
Xavi “And Seifer’s just making it worse! Then again, he always does!”
Mickey “Um, excuse me?”
Everyone suddenly turns their attention to King Mickey.
Mickey “Maybe we should retire to Ansem’s Study so I can explain.”
The group felt the need to laugh. They’d almost forgotten about King Mickey. After they relocate to Ansem’s Study, Mickey is the first to break the silence.
Mickey “I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve called you all here.”
Xavi “The thought did cross our minds.”
Mickey “Your captain, the one Orion called Ryuma, and Minnie – I think I may have pinpointed their location.”
Shiro “Are you serious!?”
Yuffie “Shiro, please.”
Shiro “Oh. Sorry. …Hey, wait! How do you know about Ryuma and Queen Minnie, your Majesty? You weren’t there when I was with them at the castle.”
Mickey (giggling) “Yes, I was.”
Shiro “Huh?”
Mickey “Remember when Orion’s first dark blast almost killed you?”
…Thinking back to the fight, Shiro remembers Orion placing his palm upon his chest. Mickey, thinking fast, fires a Thundara spell, confusing Orion for almost a nanosecond, so his darkness blast would be slightly weaker than it should’ve been. Before he was seen, Mickey hightails it out of the throne room…
Mickey “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Shiro “…Wow. Thanks a lot for saving me, your Majesty!”
Mickey “Please, you can call me Mickey. ‘Your Majesty’ sounds too formal, don’t you think?”
Shiro “Um, sure. I will.”
Mickey “Anyway, as I was saying, Orion’s lair is somewhere on a world just outside of the World that Never Was. It’s called the ‘Nest of Evil.’”
Seifer “How appropriate…”
Mickey “The Nest is protected by a dark barrier. It’s almost impenetrable, but I know how we can work around that.”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “The corridors of the Nest are swarming with Darklings. When we infiltrate, we need to be thoroughly prepared. Now, Orion’s also captured some Radiant Garden citizens in order to model his Darkling army. The jail cells where they’re being kept should be somewhere on the basement level, which is even more heavily guarded than the first floor. So I think we should split up into two groups. Since Shiro and I are the strongest, we should take on Orion, along with a few others, while the rest of us should be strong enough to fight past the Darklings and free the prisoners.”
Ayane “Hmm… Where would be the best point of infiltration?”
Mickey “That’s easy. There’s a small section of the west side of the Nest that the Darklings can’t detect. We’ll break into the Nest from there.”
Yuffie “Just one thing: shouldn’t 1 or 2 of us stay behind at the Nest’s entrance and make sure the gate stays open?”
Leon “Yuffie’s got a point. I volunteer to stay behind with her and guard the front gate.”
Yuffie “What? I never said I wanted to stay behind!! I want a piece of Orion!!”
Mickey “No, Leon. We’ll need your strength to take on Orion. So, how’s about this? Zidane and Yuffie will guard the front entrance…”
Zidane “Got it.”
Yuffie (sigh) “All right, I’ll do it…”
Mickey “…Xavi and Garnet will free the prisoners…”
Garnet “Gotcha!”
Xavi “So, I guess it’ll just be us two together, huh?”
Xavi slips his arm around Garnet’s shoulder.
Garnet “Um…”
Zidane “Hey, buddy! Lay off!”
Xavi “You lay off! She ain’t your property!!”
Garnet “…Don’t I get a say in this?”
Mickey “…And finally, Shiro, Ayane, Leon, Seifer, and I fight Orion.”
Shiro “…Ayane should help Xavi and Yuffie with the prisoners.”
Mickey “Huh?”
Ayane “Shiro, if it’s because you’re worried about me…”
Shiro “That’s exactly it, Ayane! I don’t want you getting hurt!”
Ayane “You can’t worry about me all the time, Shiro! I want to fight too!”
Shiro “No!! Orion’s too strong, even for me! If you fight him, you’ll most certainly die!!”
Mickey “Shiro…”
Ayane “No, I won’t, Shiro!! I’m not weak, you know!!!”
Shiro “I know that!! But, Orion’s just too powerful!!”
Ayane “Why are you always looking out for my safety anyway!?”
Shiro shoots up out of his chair.
Shiro “BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU, THAT’S WHY!!!!”
Ayane was taken aback by Shiro’s reaction. Everyone in the room was staring at him aghast. Opening the door, Shiro looks back once more before slamming the door behind him. Everyone was silent for over a minute, until Mickey stands up and leaves the house in search of Shiro. Luckily, he hadn’t gone far; he had just gone to Merlin’s house to temper his Keyblade. Shiro stops in his tracks when he sees Mickey in front of him.
Mickey “Do you wanna talk?”
Shiro “There’s nothing to talk about…”
As Shiro walks away, Mickey follows him. Right near the exit that separates the marketplace from the borough, he and Shiro encounter a few basic Warrior Darklings. Shiro destroys a couple with ease, without uttering a word. Mickey destroys five Darklings with one twirl of his Keyblade. He then smiles at Shiro, but Shiro doesn’t care and proceeds through the exit. They eventually end up at the marketplace by Scrooge McDuck’s ice cream shop. Shiro remains silent even longer.
Mickey “You know…”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “Minnie was a lot like Ayane. In fact, she still is. She’s fragile, but she doesn’t want others to know that. She acts strong. No, she is strong.”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “I’ve always wanted to protect her. Always. But, in some ways, she’s grown even stronger than I am. I knew I couldn’t protect her forever.”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “Ayane’s strong like Minnie. And she wants you to realize that…”
Shiro “Ayane… You’re right, Mickey.”
Mickey “Hehehe. I know.”
Back in the corridors, Shiro is walking beside King Mickey before stopping.
Shiro “I’ll be right back, Mickey. I just remembered to do something important. I’ll meet you at Ansem’s Study in a few minutes.”
Mickey “Oh. Uh, sure.”
Mickey walks into the study to join the others, while Shiro runs over to Merlin’s house again.
Leon “…So, where is he?”
Mickey “Dunno. He said he’d only be a few minutes.”
Seifer “Well, it’d better be good if he’s making us wait like this!”
Xavi “No one asked you, Seifer!!”
Seifer “Hey, kid, you wanna throw down!? ‘Cuz I’ll throw down!”
Xavi “Just name the time and place!! I’ll wipe the floor with you!!”
Yuffie “KNOCK IT OFF, YOU TWO!!!!!”
Garnet “I hope he’s okay…”
Ayane “…”
Just then, the door creaks open. Shiro walks in timidly as the others just looked at him.
Xavi “You feeling okay, man?”
Shiro “Yeah. I’m…sorry for worrying you.”
Yuffie “Ah, don’t sweat it, kid!”
Mickey “So what was it you remembered?”
Shiro “Oh, yeah. About that… Well, I thought about what you said, Mickey. And I realized that we’d need all the help we can muster if we want to defeat Orion, so… I’m letting Ayane join us in the fight.”
Mickey “Good choice, Shiro.”
Shiro “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her safety.”
Shiro then approaches Ayane with care.
Ayane “…”
Shiro “That’s why…you’ll need this.”
Ayane “Huh?”
He takes her hand and places a Keychain in it. Looking down at it, Ayane makes a startling discovery.
Ayane “No way… This is…”
Shiro “That’s right. It’s the Relinquishing Light. I had Merlin temper it so it’d be suitable for you to use.”
Ayane “I can really have this?”
Shiro “Uh-huh.”
Ayane firmly grips the Keychain in her hand.
Ayane “Thanks, Shiro… I won’t let you down!”
Shiro then faces towards Mickey.
Mickey “You ready?”
Shiro “I’ve never been more ready in my life!”
Xavi “All right!! Let’s do it!! We’ll show that Orion who’s boss!!!”
It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when Shiro and the others where all ready to depart for the Nest of Evil. Just when Shiro finished making the preparations in his Gummi Ship, Cid calls over to him.
Cid “Hey, Shiro!”
Shiro “Huh? Oh, hey, Cid!”
Cid “Catch.”
Shiro was caught off-guard when Cid tosses a remote control to him. The remote nearly slips out of his hands.
Shiro “Whew! What’s this?”
Cid “Press the button on it.”
In doing so, Shiro’s Gummi Ship suddenly vanishes, amazing Shiro.
Shiro “Hey!! What happened to my ship!?”
Cid “Hahahaha!! Press it again!”
Then, in doing so, the Gummi Ship reappeared in its same spot.
Cid “I installed prototype Cloak-Gummi blocks on our ships! Tron helped me create them! Now we can get to the Nest of Evil undetected!”
Shiro “Wow!! That’s awesome!!”
Cid “HAHAHA!! Knew you’d think so!”
Shiro takes another look at the remote before pocketing it. It wasn’t too long before everyone was ready for liftoff in their respective Gummi Ships. Shiro, Ayane, and Xavi rode in one; Mickey, Leon, and Seifer in another; and Yuffie, Zidane, and Garnet in the last.
Shiro “Engines online!”
Yuffie “Thrusters operational!”
Mickey “All systems go!”
Xavi “Let’s light this candle!”
Shiro “LIFTOFF!”
In perfect sync, the 3 Gummi Ships pull away from the port and blast off into interspace.
Leon “I can see the Warp Hole from here.”
The 3 Gummi Ships line up front to back, planning to enter the Warp Hole one by one. First, Mickey’s ship rockets through, followed by Shiro’s ship, and finally, Yuffie’s ship. Through the other side of the Warp Hole, the ships immediately slow down and approach the World that Never Was.
Ayane “Shouldn’t the Nest be somewhere near here?”
Xavi “Yeah. All I see is the World that Never Was.”
Mickey “Just wait a moment.”
Only a few seconds later, a bright light from the tip of the World that Never Was shines across interspace, revealing another castle about 20 yards from the light’s point of origin.
Shiro “It’s invisible…?”
Mickey “Not really. That light actually serves as a gateway between this dimension and the next.”
Leon “Separate dimensions… Astounding…”
Mickey “Hurry on through. It’ll only stay open for a few more minutes.”
Shiro “I’ll go first just to see if it’s safe.”
Right before flying through the light, Shiro engages his Cloak-Gummi. He takes a deep breath before piloting his ship into the light, transporting it into the vicinity of the Nest of Evil. Mickey and Yuffie do the same and they all end up right in front of the Nest. Glancing around, Shiro is shocked to see…
Shiro “Mickey…”
Mickey “Yeah, I know… There isn’t a single other world here.”
This was a strange dimension. The Nest of Evil was the only world around, and everything else was blackened interspace.
Ayane “I already don’t like this place.”
Zidane “Hey, guys. Take a look. It’s just as King Mickey said: a dark barrier.”
Xavi “So, how DO we get through it?”
Shiro “…I think I know.”
Shiro steps out of the pilot seat and walks over to the ladder leading out of the ship.
Xavi “What’re you doing?”
Shiro “King Mickey says there was a dark barrier. What better way to break through darkness…than with darkness?”
Shiro climbs the ladder upon creating a dark aura around himself. Stepping out of the ship, he carefully walks to the bow, directly in front of the c0ckpit.
Shiro “Now, Mickey?”
Mickey “Yeah. Do it.”
Taking his favorite pose, Shiro charges a mass amount of dark energy in his hands behind him.
Shiro “Nnnnn…”
Mickey ‘Come on…’
Shiro “Nnnnn…”
Leon ‘It’s all or nothing.’
Shiro “Nnnnn…”
Ayane “You can do it…”
Shiro “Nnnnn… YAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Spinning around and releasing the amassed energy, Shiro releases it in the form of a crescent. The dark crescent strikes the barrier, appearing to tear it open like fabric.
Shiro “Whew!”
Mickey “All right!!”
Garnet “He did it!!”
Seifer “…Not bad.”
Shiro stays on top of his ship as it, as well as the 2 others, hovers through the torn opening in the barrier. Upon landing with the Cloak-Gummi blocks still active, Shiro and the others all prepare to go separate ways. There were three burly “Dynamo” Darklings at the front entrance, which Shiro, Mickey, and Leon eliminate with some effort.
Yuffie “I guess this is where we split up, huh?”
Zidane “Give ‘em hell, guys!”
Leon “You can count on it!”
Mickey leads the troop to a small grotto on the far west side of the Nest. Removing some of the brush aside, a ventilation shaft is revealed.
Ayane “Why is it always a ventilation shaft?”
Xavi “So, who’s first?”
Garnet “NOOOOOO!!”
Everyone looks on at Garnet, who trembles powerfully.
Shiro “Garnet?”
Garnet “No, no, no, no, NO!! There’s no way I’m crawling inside that thing!! Who knows what creepy, crawly things live in there!?”
Xavi (thinking) ‘Hahaha! Now’s my chance!’ (out loud) “You don’t need to worry, Garnet! I’ll protect you!”
Zidane (yelling from afar) “I HEARD THAT!!!!”
Leon “Would you rather stay behind?”
Garnet “Uh… Well…”
Ayane “It’s okay if you want to stay here, Garnet. We won’t think any less of you.”
Mickey “I’ll go get Yuffie, and you can stay with Zidane.”
As Mickey temporarily leaves the group to fetch Yuffie, Garnet apologizes to the others.
Garnet “I’m really sorry, you guys. It’s just…”
Ayane “Hey, it’s all right. In fact, if you hadn’t freaked out, I probably would have done it first! Heh!”
Xavi ‘Oh, man… So close! I was so close!’
Seconds later, Yuffie catches up with the group swiftly…
Yuffie “WHOO-HOO! Looks like I’ll be getting some action after all! Let’s kick some Darkling butt!!”
…and is the first one to crawl into the ventilation shaft.
Seifer “…That girl seriously needs to watch her caffeine intake.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
In all of his big-eared glory, King Mickey himself stands before Shiro, Ayane, and Xavi – all open-mouthed, which made Mickey feel a little uncomfortable.
Mickey “Um… Hello?”
Ayane immediately hops out of Shiro’s arms, causing him to fall over, and hovers over Mickey with fanatic-like stars in her eyes.
Ayane “King Mickey! Your Majesty, it’s a true honor to finally meet you!! My name’s Ayane Kiyoshi, and I am a huge admirer of your status!”
Mickey “Uh…”
Xavi “AYANE!!!”
Shiro and Xavi pull Ayane away from Mickey to avoid any further embarrassment.
Shiro “I deeply apologize, your Majesty.”
Xavi “Yeah, Ayane’s expecting her self-control reflex in the mail any day now!”
Ayane “Watch it, Xavi!”
Mickey “It’s…alright…”
Shiro “But, what’s a person of your stature doing here anyway?”
Mickey “I’m the one who contacted you at Origin City!”
Shiro “Wha…?”
Xavi “I KNEW IT!!!”
Only a few seconds later, Leon and Yuffie arrive with a couple of unfamiliar faces.
Leon “Ah. I see you’ve gathered already.”
Yuffie “Now, we can get down to business!”
Shiro “What business, Yuffie? And who’re these guys?”
Leon “Oh, them? Just some new guys on the block who volunteered to help out with the upcoming fight.”
The new guys introduce themselves to Shiro and the others.
Zidane “Hey! The name’s Zidane!”
Garnet “And I’m Garnet. Pleased to meet you.”
Xavi “Helloooooooooo, beautiful!”
Leon “Hmm…”
Ayane “What’s the matter, Leon?”
Leon “I contacted one other person for help earlier, but he’s not here yet.”
Just then, a shadowy figure jumps down from the tower high above the postern and lands on its feet. The figure stands tall before the group, gunblade in hand.
Xavi “YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! YOU CONTACTED HIM!?!?”
Leon “Glad you could join us, Seifer.”
Seifer “I wish the feeling was mutual, Squall.”
Leon “That’s Leon.”
Seifer “Oh, please. You think you can escape your pathetic past simply by changing your name? You’ll always be the same helpless Squall I know.”
Leon “…”
Yuffie “That’s enough, Seifer!!”
Seifer “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”
Shiro and the rest of the group stand in their own world outside the “stirring” conversation.
Zidane “You following any of this?”
Ayane “A while ago, this world was home to Squall and the others. But it was soon taken over by the Heartless, and Squall felt that it was partly his fault. So he changed his name to Leon in order to atone.”
Garnet “Poor Leon…”
Xavi “And Seifer’s just making it worse! Then again, he always does!”
Mickey “Um, excuse me?”
Everyone suddenly turns their attention to King Mickey.
Mickey “Maybe we should retire to Ansem’s Study so I can explain.”
The group felt the need to laugh. They’d almost forgotten about King Mickey. After they relocate to Ansem’s Study, Mickey is the first to break the silence.
Mickey “I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve called you all here.”
Xavi “The thought did cross our minds.”
Mickey “Your captain, the one Orion called Ryuma, and Minnie – I think I may have pinpointed their location.”
Shiro “Are you serious!?”
Yuffie “Shiro, please.”
Shiro “Oh. Sorry. …Hey, wait! How do you know about Ryuma and Queen Minnie, your Majesty? You weren’t there when I was with them at the castle.”
Mickey (giggling) “Yes, I was.”
Shiro “Huh?”
Mickey “Remember when Orion’s first dark blast almost killed you?”
…Thinking back to the fight, Shiro remembers Orion placing his palm upon his chest. Mickey, thinking fast, fires a Thundara spell, confusing Orion for almost a nanosecond, so his darkness blast would be slightly weaker than it should’ve been. Before he was seen, Mickey hightails it out of the throne room…
Mickey “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Shiro “…Wow. Thanks a lot for saving me, your Majesty!”
Mickey “Please, you can call me Mickey. ‘Your Majesty’ sounds too formal, don’t you think?”
Shiro “Um, sure. I will.”
Mickey “Anyway, as I was saying, Orion’s lair is somewhere on a world just outside of the World that Never Was. It’s called the ‘Nest of Evil.’”
Seifer “How appropriate…”
Mickey “The Nest is protected by a dark barrier. It’s almost impenetrable, but I know how we can work around that.”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “The corridors of the Nest are swarming with Darklings. When we infiltrate, we need to be thoroughly prepared. Now, Orion’s also captured some Radiant Garden citizens in order to model his Darkling army. The jail cells where they’re being kept should be somewhere on the basement level, which is even more heavily guarded than the first floor. So I think we should split up into two groups. Since Shiro and I are the strongest, we should take on Orion, along with a few others, while the rest of us should be strong enough to fight past the Darklings and free the prisoners.”
Ayane “Hmm… Where would be the best point of infiltration?”
Mickey “That’s easy. There’s a small section of the west side of the Nest that the Darklings can’t detect. We’ll break into the Nest from there.”
Yuffie “Just one thing: shouldn’t 1 or 2 of us stay behind at the Nest’s entrance and make sure the gate stays open?”
Leon “Yuffie’s got a point. I volunteer to stay behind with her and guard the front gate.”
Yuffie “What? I never said I wanted to stay behind!! I want a piece of Orion!!”
Mickey “No, Leon. We’ll need your strength to take on Orion. So, how’s about this? Zidane and Yuffie will guard the front entrance…”
Zidane “Got it.”
Yuffie (sigh) “All right, I’ll do it…”
Mickey “…Xavi and Garnet will free the prisoners…”
Garnet “Gotcha!”
Xavi “So, I guess it’ll just be us two together, huh?”
Xavi slips his arm around Garnet’s shoulder.
Garnet “Um…”
Zidane “Hey, buddy! Lay off!”
Xavi “You lay off! She ain’t your property!!”
Garnet “…Don’t I get a say in this?”
Mickey “…And finally, Shiro, Ayane, Leon, Seifer, and I fight Orion.”
Shiro “…Ayane should help Xavi and Yuffie with the prisoners.”
Mickey “Huh?”
Ayane “Shiro, if it’s because you’re worried about me…”
Shiro “That’s exactly it, Ayane! I don’t want you getting hurt!”
Ayane “You can’t worry about me all the time, Shiro! I want to fight too!”
Shiro “No!! Orion’s too strong, even for me! If you fight him, you’ll most certainly die!!”
Mickey “Shiro…”
Ayane “No, I won’t, Shiro!! I’m not weak, you know!!!”
Shiro “I know that!! But, Orion’s just too powerful!!”
Ayane “Why are you always looking out for my safety anyway!?”
Shiro shoots up out of his chair.
Shiro “BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU, THAT’S WHY!!!!”
Ayane was taken aback by Shiro’s reaction. Everyone in the room was staring at him aghast. Opening the door, Shiro looks back once more before slamming the door behind him. Everyone was silent for over a minute, until Mickey stands up and leaves the house in search of Shiro. Luckily, he hadn’t gone far; he had just gone to Merlin’s house to temper his Keyblade. Shiro stops in his tracks when he sees Mickey in front of him.
Mickey “Do you wanna talk?”
Shiro “There’s nothing to talk about…”
As Shiro walks away, Mickey follows him. Right near the exit that separates the marketplace from the borough, he and Shiro encounter a few basic Warrior Darklings. Shiro destroys a couple with ease, without uttering a word. Mickey destroys five Darklings with one twirl of his Keyblade. He then smiles at Shiro, but Shiro doesn’t care and proceeds through the exit. They eventually end up at the marketplace by Scrooge McDuck’s ice cream shop. Shiro remains silent even longer.
Mickey “You know…”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “Minnie was a lot like Ayane. In fact, she still is. She’s fragile, but she doesn’t want others to know that. She acts strong. No, she is strong.”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “I’ve always wanted to protect her. Always. But, in some ways, she’s grown even stronger than I am. I knew I couldn’t protect her forever.”
Shiro “…”
Mickey “Ayane’s strong like Minnie. And she wants you to realize that…”
Shiro “Ayane… You’re right, Mickey.”
Mickey “Hehehe. I know.”
Back in the corridors, Shiro is walking beside King Mickey before stopping.
Shiro “I’ll be right back, Mickey. I just remembered to do something important. I’ll meet you at Ansem’s Study in a few minutes.”
Mickey “Oh. Uh, sure.”
Mickey walks into the study to join the others, while Shiro runs over to Merlin’s house again.
Leon “…So, where is he?”
Mickey “Dunno. He said he’d only be a few minutes.”
Seifer “Well, it’d better be good if he’s making us wait like this!”
Xavi “No one asked you, Seifer!!”
Seifer “Hey, kid, you wanna throw down!? ‘Cuz I’ll throw down!”
Xavi “Just name the time and place!! I’ll wipe the floor with you!!”
Yuffie “KNOCK IT OFF, YOU TWO!!!!!”
Garnet “I hope he’s okay…”
Ayane “…”
Just then, the door creaks open. Shiro walks in timidly as the others just looked at him.
Xavi “You feeling okay, man?”
Shiro “Yeah. I’m…sorry for worrying you.”
Yuffie “Ah, don’t sweat it, kid!”
Mickey “So what was it you remembered?”
Shiro “Oh, yeah. About that… Well, I thought about what you said, Mickey. And I realized that we’d need all the help we can muster if we want to defeat Orion, so… I’m letting Ayane join us in the fight.”
Mickey “Good choice, Shiro.”
Shiro “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her safety.”
Shiro then approaches Ayane with care.
Ayane “…”
Shiro “That’s why…you’ll need this.”
Ayane “Huh?”
He takes her hand and places a Keychain in it. Looking down at it, Ayane makes a startling discovery.
Ayane “No way… This is…”
Shiro “That’s right. It’s the Relinquishing Light. I had Merlin temper it so it’d be suitable for you to use.”
Ayane “I can really have this?”
Shiro “Uh-huh.”
Ayane firmly grips the Keychain in her hand.
Ayane “Thanks, Shiro… I won’t let you down!”
Shiro then faces towards Mickey.
Mickey “You ready?”
Shiro “I’ve never been more ready in my life!”
Xavi “All right!! Let’s do it!! We’ll show that Orion who’s boss!!!”
It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when Shiro and the others where all ready to depart for the Nest of Evil. Just when Shiro finished making the preparations in his Gummi Ship, Cid calls over to him.
Cid “Hey, Shiro!”
Shiro “Huh? Oh, hey, Cid!”
Cid “Catch.”
Shiro was caught off-guard when Cid tosses a remote control to him. The remote nearly slips out of his hands.
Shiro “Whew! What’s this?”
Cid “Press the button on it.”
In doing so, Shiro’s Gummi Ship suddenly vanishes, amazing Shiro.
Shiro “Hey!! What happened to my ship!?”
Cid “Hahahaha!! Press it again!”
Then, in doing so, the Gummi Ship reappeared in its same spot.
Cid “I installed prototype Cloak-Gummi blocks on our ships! Tron helped me create them! Now we can get to the Nest of Evil undetected!”
Shiro “Wow!! That’s awesome!!”
Cid “HAHAHA!! Knew you’d think so!”
Shiro takes another look at the remote before pocketing it. It wasn’t too long before everyone was ready for liftoff in their respective Gummi Ships. Shiro, Ayane, and Xavi rode in one; Mickey, Leon, and Seifer in another; and Yuffie, Zidane, and Garnet in the last.
Shiro “Engines online!”
Yuffie “Thrusters operational!”
Mickey “All systems go!”
Xavi “Let’s light this candle!”
Shiro “LIFTOFF!”
In perfect sync, the 3 Gummi Ships pull away from the port and blast off into interspace.
Leon “I can see the Warp Hole from here.”
The 3 Gummi Ships line up front to back, planning to enter the Warp Hole one by one. First, Mickey’s ship rockets through, followed by Shiro’s ship, and finally, Yuffie’s ship. Through the other side of the Warp Hole, the ships immediately slow down and approach the World that Never Was.
Ayane “Shouldn’t the Nest be somewhere near here?”
Xavi “Yeah. All I see is the World that Never Was.”
Mickey “Just wait a moment.”
Only a few seconds later, a bright light from the tip of the World that Never Was shines across interspace, revealing another castle about 20 yards from the light’s point of origin.
Shiro “It’s invisible…?”
Mickey “Not really. That light actually serves as a gateway between this dimension and the next.”
Leon “Separate dimensions… Astounding…”
Mickey “Hurry on through. It’ll only stay open for a few more minutes.”
Shiro “I’ll go first just to see if it’s safe.”
Right before flying through the light, Shiro engages his Cloak-Gummi. He takes a deep breath before piloting his ship into the light, transporting it into the vicinity of the Nest of Evil. Mickey and Yuffie do the same and they all end up right in front of the Nest. Glancing around, Shiro is shocked to see…
Shiro “Mickey…”
Mickey “Yeah, I know… There isn’t a single other world here.”
This was a strange dimension. The Nest of Evil was the only world around, and everything else was blackened interspace.
Ayane “I already don’t like this place.”
Zidane “Hey, guys. Take a look. It’s just as King Mickey said: a dark barrier.”
Xavi “So, how DO we get through it?”
Shiro “…I think I know.”
Shiro steps out of the pilot seat and walks over to the ladder leading out of the ship.
Xavi “What’re you doing?”
Shiro “King Mickey says there was a dark barrier. What better way to break through darkness…than with darkness?”
Shiro climbs the ladder upon creating a dark aura around himself. Stepping out of the ship, he carefully walks to the bow, directly in front of the c0ckpit.
Shiro “Now, Mickey?”
Mickey “Yeah. Do it.”
Taking his favorite pose, Shiro charges a mass amount of dark energy in his hands behind him.
Shiro “Nnnnn…”
Mickey ‘Come on…’
Shiro “Nnnnn…”
Leon ‘It’s all or nothing.’
Shiro “Nnnnn…”
Ayane “You can do it…”
Shiro “Nnnnn… YAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Spinning around and releasing the amassed energy, Shiro releases it in the form of a crescent. The dark crescent strikes the barrier, appearing to tear it open like fabric.
Shiro “Whew!”
Mickey “All right!!”
Garnet “He did it!!”
Seifer “…Not bad.”
Shiro stays on top of his ship as it, as well as the 2 others, hovers through the torn opening in the barrier. Upon landing with the Cloak-Gummi blocks still active, Shiro and the others all prepare to go separate ways. There were three burly “Dynamo” Darklings at the front entrance, which Shiro, Mickey, and Leon eliminate with some effort.
Yuffie “I guess this is where we split up, huh?”
Zidane “Give ‘em hell, guys!”
Leon “You can count on it!”
Mickey leads the troop to a small grotto on the far west side of the Nest. Removing some of the brush aside, a ventilation shaft is revealed.
Ayane “Why is it always a ventilation shaft?”
Xavi “So, who’s first?”
Garnet “NOOOOOO!!”
Everyone looks on at Garnet, who trembles powerfully.
Shiro “Garnet?”
Garnet “No, no, no, no, NO!! There’s no way I’m crawling inside that thing!! Who knows what creepy, crawly things live in there!?”
Xavi (thinking) ‘Hahaha! Now’s my chance!’ (out loud) “You don’t need to worry, Garnet! I’ll protect you!”
Zidane (yelling from afar) “I HEARD THAT!!!!”
Leon “Would you rather stay behind?”
Garnet “Uh… Well…”
Ayane “It’s okay if you want to stay here, Garnet. We won’t think any less of you.”
Mickey “I’ll go get Yuffie, and you can stay with Zidane.”
As Mickey temporarily leaves the group to fetch Yuffie, Garnet apologizes to the others.
Garnet “I’m really sorry, you guys. It’s just…”
Ayane “Hey, it’s all right. In fact, if you hadn’t freaked out, I probably would have done it first! Heh!”
Xavi ‘Oh, man… So close! I was so close!’
Seconds later, Yuffie catches up with the group swiftly…
Yuffie “WHOO-HOO! Looks like I’ll be getting some action after all! Let’s kick some Darkling butt!!”
…and is the first one to crawl into the ventilation shaft.
Seifer “…That girl seriously needs to watch her caffeine intake.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
