"What?!" cried the little man in the large hat, "Where does he think he's going?! I leave him clues and markers to lead him to the castle, and he just ups and vanishes without decimating it. At least Vexen is gone...oh but he wasn't my real target anyway." The little man stamped a bit and slumped in his chair. "Poo," he sighed, "I suppose if you want something done in this universe, you miust indeed do it yourself, as the saying goes." He poured himself some tea and formulated a plan of attack. *** Naminé stared at the huge doors, wondering whether she should really bother whoever was inside. Tentatively, she reached for one of the large iron knockers. *** Xemnas sat up in bed. He felt his strength almost completely returned. After testing his weakened muscles, he concluded that his Heartless must no longer be there. But how? he wondered, and, more importantly, did it take anyone with it... Xemnas left his quarters and headed to the front hall.
((Hi there, I just felt like doing something crazy, since I'm not at home and can't work on Keyblade Wars for the moment, I did this. Hope you all enjoy! Dedicated to 2Foxxie4U and Gharanth, as well as the cast and crew of Org. XIII: It's a Beautiful Day. With apologies to Stephen Katz, The Cohen Brothers, and Monty Python.)) **************************************************************** Scene Stealers (an Organization XIII Eats Waffles story). “Why him, you monster?!” yelled Vexen. “Why not the…the scriptgirl?!” The rest of the Organization watched the stage intently as Vexen was pacing about. Saix was standing stoically on a raised platform near the back, his arms folded across his chest like a dead man. “The scriptgirl?” Saix chuckled in a vaguely Romanian accent, “I’ll eat her later.” Vexen stared incredulously for a moment before continuing, “Because of you, I now have to go to Berlin and get another photographer. You must control yourself while I am away.” Vexen turned to leave when Saix said “I don’t think we need the writer any longer.” Vexen looked back. “What?” “The writer,” Saix said before shaking his head. Vexen stared for another moment before saying “As much as it pains me to admit, the writer is necessary. ALL my crew is necessary!” “I don’t think the ship is necessary,” said Saix. “The ship?” Vexen said, growing more exasperated, “But there are more than a dozen scenes on the ship!” “But, I don’t sail,” said Saix silkily. “THEN I WILL REPLACE YOU WITH THE DOUBLE!” Vexen screamed. “I will shoot all your scenes with the double! You will have NO scenes in this film! None! Zero! Go ahead, eat the writer. Then maybe you can explain another way your character gets to Bremen!” A silence set in as Vexen calmed down. Sighing, he continued. “I can shoot the scenes at sea around you, but you’ll still need to sail to shoot the climax at Heilgoland.” “Or else what?” Saix said softly. “Or else what?” said Vexen, “Or else no Greta. All her scenes are there.” Saix moved for the first time, and he contorted as if the news brought him pain. “I will go to Heilgoland,” Saix hissed, “But I won’t sail.” “Heilgoland is an island,” said Vexen coolly, “It can only be reached be sea.” “Or by air,” Saix said thoughtfully. Vexen closed his eyes and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose. “And if I find a way to fly you in,” he said, “will you leave my crew alone?” “Or else what?” Saix repeated. “Don’t think I can’t hurt you,” said Vexen. “Tell me how you could harm me,” said Saix, “when even I am not certain how I could harm myself.” Another pause, then both of them turned to the rest of the Organization in the audience. “And scene,” said Saix in his normal voice. The room burst with mild applause. Xemnas stood up in the front row. “Shadow of the Vampire,” Xemnas said, “is an obscure choice, but effective. You both played the scene marvelously. I particularly liked Saix’s accent. You two might want to review your scripts, though, because I think you might have forgotten a line or two. You may sit down.” Saix and Vexen bowed and then left the stage. Xemnas continued, “Two pairs left. Who wants to go next?” Axel and Marluxia looked at each other, shrugged, then raised their hands. Xemnas nodded and they made their way to the stage. “Remember,” said Xemnas, “Wow me.” Marluxia brought a table to the middle of the stage and ducked under it. Axel picked up a cage with a little stuffed bird inside and walked up to the counter. “Hello,” said Axel in a British accent, “I wish to make a complaint. Hello, miss?” Marluxia popped up from behind the counter. “What do you mean, ‘miss’?!” he demanded in a similar accent. Axel considered a moment before saying “I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!” “We're closin' for lunch,” Marluxia said quickly. “Never mind that, my lad,” said Axel, putting the cage on the table. “I wish to complain about this parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.” “Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue,” Marluxia said nervously. “What's, uh...What's wrong with it?” “I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad,” said Axel dryly. “It's dead, that's what's wrong with it!” The Organization members in the audience began to snicker as Marluxia said “No, no, he's uh...he's resting.” “Look, matey,” said Axel in an annoyed tone, “I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.” “No, no he's not dead, he's…he's restin'!” stuttered Marluxia. “Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, isn't it, ay? Beautiful plumage!” “The plumage don't enter into it,” said Axel, “It's stone dead.” “Nononono, no, no! He's resting!” insisted Marluxia. “All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up!” said Axel as he bent down to the cage. “'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot!” Axel bellowed at the stuffed bird, “I've got a lovely fresh cuttlefish for you if you show...” Marluxia nudged the cage. “There, he moved!” he said. “No, he didn't,” Axel exclaimed over roars of laughter from the audience, “that was you hitting the cage!” “I never!” Marluxia cried. “Yes, you did!” insisted Axel. “I never did anything!” Marluxia said again. Axel went back to the cage. “'ELLO POLLY!!!!!” bellowed Axel as he took the bird out of the cage and started banging it on the table, “Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!” He threw the plushie bird into the air and watched it plummet sadly to the floor. “Now that’s what I call a dead parrot,” Axel said matter-of-factly. Marluxia waited for the laughter to subside a bit before going “No, no.....No, he's stunned!” “Stunned?!” said Axel in disbelief. “Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up!” said Marluxia. “Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.” Axel shook his head. “Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this,” he said, “That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not half an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.” “Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords,” offered Marluxia. “PININ' for the FJORDS?! What kind of talk is that?!” Axel hollered. “Look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got him home?” “The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, isn’t it, squire? Lovely plumage!” “Look,” said Axel, “I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.” There was a bit of a pause as the aisles were rolling with laughter before Marluxia finally said “Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!” and with the last section mimed with his hands a bird fluttering away. “’Voom’?” Axel said, putting both hands on the table and looking into Marluxia’s eyes, “Mate, this bird wouldn't ‘voom’ if you put four million volts through it! He's bleedin' demised!” “No no, he’s pinin’!” Marluxia repeated weakly. “’He’s not pinin’!” Axel yelled at the height of exasperation while shaking the bird in Marluxia’s face, “He’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! He's expired and gone to meet his maker! He's a stiff! Bereft of life, he rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed ‘im to the perch he'd be pushing up the daisies! His metabolic processes are now history! He's off the twig! He's kicked the bucket, he's shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!” Axel was giving Marluxia the stare of death, the laughter in the auditorium was deafening, and finally Marluxia said “Well, I’d better replace it then.” Axel turned to the audience and said “If you want something done in this country, you have to talk until you’re blue in the face.” And with that, Marluxia and Axel gave a little bow as a thunderous applause broke out. Foremost was Xemnas. “Excellent, excellent!” said Xemnas, “That was marvelous! Absolutely flawless! I didn’t want it to end, which is more than I can say for some acts…” He glanced over to Roxas and Xaldin, whose rendition of the “Royale with Cheese” conversation from Pulp Fiction had been less than thrilling. As they took their seats again, Xemnas said “Well, last scene. You two are up.” Zexion looked over at Larxene, who nodded and headed backstage. Zexion cracked his knuckles and slowly trod towards the stage. Once there, he looked over the audience with a small smile. He cracked his knuckles, did a few stretches, and then held out his hand. Darkness issued forth, covering the entire auditorium. A strange sound reverberated through the room as a gigantic bowling pin (or rather, Zexion’s illusion of one) slowly hovered across the stage as a series of words appeared overhead. “Jackie Treehorn presents,” the words read, “The Dude, Maude Lebowski, in…” The bowling pin stood upright and was flanked by a pair of bowling balls, creating a rather suggestive image as the word “Gutterballs” flashed. Suddenly, the room was flooded with the sound of Kenny Rogers singing “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition my Condition was In)” and the pin disappeared along with the balls. At that moment, Zexion came slowly dancing in to the music, wearing a sleeveless cable repairman outfit and looking unusually cheerful. He walked up to what looked like the shoe rental station from a Bowling alley, where a sour-looking mustached man in a beret with the nametag “Saddam” handed him a pair of bowling sneakers. Instantly, they were on Zexion’s feet and he began dancing down a lighted staircase just as a chorus of girls with ridiculous bowling pin headdresses began dancing around Larxene, who had appeared wearing an operatic Viking outfit. Zexion, holding a bowling ball high over his head like a relic, walked over to Larxene. He caressed her arm lightly in a loving manner before taking her hand and inserting her fingers into the holes on the bowling ball. As the chorus girls danced down the bowling lane and opened their legs for the ball’s passage, Zexion held Larxene close and helped her to launch the ball down the lane. Except when the ball hit the lane, it was no longer a ball. It was Zexion floating headfirst about five inches above the lane. As he passed under the chorus girls’ legs, he slowly turned on his back to see up their skirts, his vacant grin growing wider, before turning back on his stomach and hitting the pins at the end of the lane. As they disappeared, the song ended and the auditorium was once again pitch black. Then the lights came on to reveal Zexion and Larxene, back in their cloaks, bowing. The applause was deafening, except from Axel and Marluxia who yelled “Hey! He used his powers! No fair!” Nobody else seemed to notice. Zexion and Larxene sat back down and Xemnas took the stage. “Well,” said Xemnas, “This has certainly been a fun day and a fun competition. But now it’s time for the results.” The Organization held its breath. “In third place,” Xemnas said, “is Luxord and Demyx for their performance of the ‘Independent Contractors on the Death star’ scene from Clerks!” Luxord and Demyx looked pleased with themselves. Demyx stood up and did a “Randal Walk.” “In second place,” Xemnas said, “is Axel and Marluxia for ‘The Dead Parrot Sketch’ from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” “What? Second?!” Marluxia said incredulously. “And first place,” Xemnas said, “is, of course, Zexion and Larxene for the ‘Gutterballs’ sequence from The Big Lebowski!” Again, a roar of applause drowning out the protests of Marluxia. “He used his power over illusion! He shouldn’t have been able to do that!” “Third place prize is,” Xemnas said, ”uhh…this bag of peanuts.” He tossed it to Luxord and Demyx, who looked at it oddly. “Second place prize is this set of Ginsu knives.” He tossed that package to Axel and Marluxia. “How ‘Glengarry Glenn Ross’ of you,” said Axel. Marluxia only scowled. “And finally,” started Xemnas. “Yes yes,” said Larxene, “We all know first prize is a new car. That’s why we bothered going through this. Gimmie!” “Ahh, yes,” said Xemnas, “Here it is!” And with that, Xemnas waved his hand and a car appeared on the stage. A rather…odd-looking car. Zexion and Larxene stared. “What…?” “Beautiful, no?” Xemnas said, “This is the EV1, a prototype electric car, and the preferred mode of transportation for the universe. At least it would have been, if those greedy oil companies hadn’t paid off the car people to take these babies off the market. Thousands were needlessly destroyed, but I was able to save this one, and now it’s yours! Enjoy!” Larxene stared. “Well, at least I’ll never be far away from an electric charge…” she said, not looking at all hopeful. “You see,” said Zexion, “this is exactly why I never participate in these stupid games.” The End
This story is even better with the theme from Gremlins playing in the background :D
Updates! Okay, it's been super long since I've done anything,b ut I finally made a few more. Here's "Knife Fight," as promised: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MnsaFlV1oLk And here's a short, fourth installment of Radio Hour: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fNqMXg8eyBI I'll try finishing the Beatle one sometime within the next few weeks, as well as a fifth Radio hour and another super-secret project (so secret even I don't know what it is yet) in the coming months.
Chapter 3: The Dark Side of the Force ((I am SO SO SORRY! It's been like, four or five months. I just had a bad case of writer's block. But now Chapter 3 is finished, and I have a better idea of where the sotry as a whole is heading.)) Chapter 3: The Dark Side of the Force The lights were out when the hooded man walked down the hallway to the space station’s control room. That was okay. He liked the dark, anyway. Always had, ever since he was a child. He couldn’t remember too much of his childhood, though. It was ages ago. He was now and old man, bent and deformed with age and evil. But though he wasn’t much to look at, the man still held immense power. He was flanked by his lieutenants, his apprentices. They were, in his eyes, the perfect perverse joining of technology and organic matter. They were both perfect killing machines, even if they did sound a bit sickly; one emitted a hacking electronic cough every few minutes, and the steady breathing rhythm of an artificial lung followed the other at all times. The hooded man had begun taking comfort in their noises, as well as the twisted energy coming off them. He was not, however, looking forward to the communication he was about to make. He wasn’t all too fond of the man he had chosen to ally himself with, though only because this one’s ambitions were a threat to his own. He did, however, despise the man whom the other had chosen as his chief lackey as of late. The hooded man sat down on his command chair, which was really more of a throne, and flipped a few switches on the panel behind him. A small, holographic image flared to life of a man dressed in tight-fitting armor of some kind, holding a helmet under his arm. The helmet was a demonic face twisted in an insane grin. The face on the man wasn’t all that different. “I’m a busy man, Osborn,†the hooded man said, “Speak quickly and get out of my sight.†“Aren’t we cheery today?†said the electronic image of Osborn, displaying a level of arrogance that none other would dare give to the dark, hooded form. “Xehanort wants me to tell you that the spiky-haired kid and his little love-boat are headed in your direction. I’m to tell you that disposing of the little twerp will put you in the big man’s favor.†“Pitiful,†said the hooded man softly, “Xehanort wants to control the workings of the universe, and yet he can’t rid himself of a pubescent gnat by himself.†“He thought you might say that,†grinned Osborn, “So he told me to remind you that pubescent gnat defeated the sorceress Maleficent on a number of occasions, completely decimated Organization XIII, and made mincemeat out of Sephiroth.†“Sephiroth,†said the hooded man, “was hardly worthy of his fame. An acceptable loss. I was also delighted to hear that Roark was destroyed. I’ve known Rodian bounty hunters with more pleasant stenches.†“This kid’s got something,†said Osborn, “Something special. I don’t think you can handle it.†At this, the hooded man stood up in rage. “You dare denounce my power?! My ingenuity?! Do not forget, I was the one who first joined with Xehanort, and gave him his lieutenant. Were it not for my strength-enhancers and armor, you would still be a petty thief in purple boots. It was I who arranged the accident in Octavius’ lab and pushed the good doctor into your employ. And the ever-dense Brock? Were it not for the organism I created, he would surely be dead in a ditch somewhere instead of being your personal assassin. Do not forget your place, Norman!†Where one in the presence of this display would be rightly groveling for his or her life, Osborn just smirked and replied “And you would do well to remember your own place in this war, ‘Emperor.’ Osborn out.†As Osborn’s image dissipated, the control panel lit up in an array of light. The sound of rhythmic breathing stopped long enough for a deep, smooth voice to say “Master, their ship is in range.†“Well,†said the hooded man, “Then let us welcome them.†The other lieutenant spoke in a harsh, accented voice, giggling and rasping “Finally, a chance to put my training to use,†before violently hacking. *** “So, what’s the name of this next place we’re going, and how long until we get there?†said Marv while scratching his head. “I don’t know,†said Sora, “I’m just kind of winging it here.†“According to these maps,†said Donald, “There should be a world here called ‘Alderaan,’ but I don’t see it anywhere outside.†“Yeah, all I see is this stupid asteroid field,†said Sora. Goofy, who was looking on, tentatively said “Gawrsh, you don’t think…†“What?†said Donald. “Well, I was just thinkin’ that some of these asteroids look kinda…green,†said Goofy slowly. “And Alderaan is green on all these maps…†said Sora, catching on. “So what you’re sayin’,†said Marv, turning around, “is that someone or something blew this place up?†“Impossible!†shouted Donald. “The Heartless implode worlds, and nothing else has enough firepower to destroy a planet. If there was, I’d know. I’d have heard about it.†Suddenly, a few bolts of green energy shot across the nose of the ship, and Sora looked out the window to see a small craft that was more or less of a ball connected to a couple of flat vertical panels scream past the window. “Why that little,†growled Sora, “I’m going after him.†Ela, who had been sitting quietly until now, said “Just let it go. It’s not worth the trouble, trust me.†“Sucks to that,†said Sora, “Nobody shoots at us and gets away with it!†“Now you’re talkin’ my language,†said Marv. Sora gunned the ship, trying to catch up with its small attacker, which was surprisingly fast and agile. “Let’s get it before it reaches that small moon over there!†yelled Donald, and he pointed to the large mass that the smaller ship was speeding towards. Sora kept trying to catch up with it. Suddenly, Ela said softly “That’s no moon…it’s a space station!†“It’s too big,†said Donald, waving him off. “Trust me,†said Ela, “If that’s what I think it is, we need to get out of here now!†“I’m beginning to agree with you,†said Sora, and he flipped a few levers to try and turn around. The craft didn’t listen, however, and merely shuddered in place as if it were trying to tear itself apart. And it kept moving slowly farther. “It’s too late,†said Ela, his face devoid of color, “We’re caught in the tractor beam…†“Shucks, guys,†said Goofy, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.†And so their Gummi ship was pulled into the docking bay of what was now obviously a giant space station. Looking out the window, they saw it crawling with Heartless wearing strange white armor. Carrying guns, they trained them on the ship once it landed. “Exit your ship,†a smooth, deep voice commanded from an intercom, “Or you will be destroyed along with it.†“Goofy,†Ela whispered quickly, “Stay here and look over Nancy. Don’t let them find you.†“I think Setzer put smuggling compartments in this thing,†whispered Goofy, “They won’t find us there.†And so, Sora, Donald, Ela, and Marv exited the ship with their hands up. Standing to greet them amongst the white-armored Heartless where two tall figures. One looked like a robotic dragon, with cream-colored armor panels, a deep grey cloak, and startling yellow eyes. The other looked more like a man, except he was dressed entirely in black, save for a panel of flashing lights on his torso, and he worse a helmet and face mask that was truly terrifying in its inhumanness. “Welcome to the Death Star, Keybearer,†said the black one in that smooth voice from the intercom. “I am Lord Darth Vader.†“General Grievous, at your service,†rasped the dragon-like one, “And you are now guests of the exalted Emperor Palpatine, who seeks an audience with you.†Ela just kept staring at Vader, horror and recognition in his eyes. Vader noticed this and cocked his head strangely. “Can it be?†said Vader slowly, “Why, I thought you were dead.†“Oh my god,†gasped Ela, “Anakin?!†Vader rushed to meet Ela face to face. “That name,†he said dangerously, “no longer has any meaning for me.†Grievous chuckled at this as Vader went to rejoin him. “That does not change the fact that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my fr-“ and Ela suddenly choked and gagged. Sora saw that Vader was twisting his hand in Ela’s direction. He’s choking him with his thoughts! Sora gasped mentally. “As much as I like watching you work, Lord Vader,†said Grievous, “I must remind you that the Emperor demanded none of them be hurt just yet. You should release him for now.†“As you wish,†Vader said with a shrug. He let his hand down, and Ela gasped for breath. “The Stormtroopers will show you to your quarters,†Grievous said, “and the Emperor will send for you once you’re…settled.†Grievous laughed, started hacking a bit, and said to one of the Stormtrooper Heartless, “Detention level.†*** Meanwhile, a long way away, a computer started churning to life. Several sheets of printed paper were being churned out into a pile on the floor. When it was finished, a menacing-looking metal claw deftly picked the stack up, and with its tentacle arm brought it to the human hands of the slightly annoyed scientist, who then read the cover sheet. Dr. Octavius, the note read, Included are the specifications for an experiment which, if successful, will provide Xehanort’s secret weapon with some added security. I trust you have the test subject already picked out. Sincerely, Galactic Emperor Palpatine. “Galactic Emperor,†Dr. Otto Octavius scoffed at nobody in particular, “He should be glad Xehanort didn’t see that.†Octavius had never liked Palpatine. He had a presence that reminded Octavius too much of his laboratory accident, which grafted his four patented hazardous-material-assist tentacles to his body, ruining the doctor’s life. Although he had to admit that it was Palpatine that introduced him to Xehanort, thereby giving his work purpose again. Octavius perused the document, entitled “Project: Sandman.†Palpatine was right. He had just the test subject. He grabbed another file and then began to trek into the basement levels of the castle Xehanort had graciously let him use for his research. “No one will find you there,†Xehanort had said to him, “Because it technically doesn’t exist.†Walking on his tentacles to save time, Octavius reached the dungeon. All the cells were empty except for the two at the end. One of which, the only one with a force-field, housed the castle’s new permanent resident. It was the traditional cell, however, that Octavius was interested in. Nobody will find me, eh? Octavius thought, Well, someone did. “Wake up, Mr. Marko,†he said to the man in the cell, who was dressed in a green-striped sweater and modest khakis. The man, Marko, turned to look at Octavius and grew a look that was a combination of fear and anger. “Flint Marko,†Octavius continued, “You’re a very lucky man. Normally trespassers are destroyed. Thieves are dealt with even worse. But you have the opportunity to be part of a grand experiment.†“Oh really?†Marko said, “Like him?†He pointed to the force-fielded cell across the hall, inside which one could barely make out a deformed shape clinging to the wall and twitching. “Oh, him?†Octavius said, “He did that to himself. Shame really. He was one of the most brilliant men I’ve ever known. One error of judgment later and…well…you can see. But it is the evolution of his technology that you will be protecting if all goes well.†“And what do I get for going through this…experiment?†Marko asked cautiously. “To not be killed by me,†said Octavius, “as well as power beyond your wildest dreams. And, once our task here is complete, I shall send you home with a cure for your ailing daughter.†“How did you…?†Marko started, shocked. “I have ways of collecting information,†Octavius said simply. Marko considered a moment. “Why does he need a force-field?†he asked finally. “Because,†Octavius replied somberly, “last week I caught him puking up some kind of bio-acid on the door locks.†Marko hesitated. “If you refuse, you will be very unhappy,†said Octavius as his pincers clipped menacingly. Marko nodded solemnly, and Octavius opened the cell door and began to lead Marko out. “Otto,†came a weak voice from the force-fielded cell. Octavius turned to face the deformed genius prisoner. “Otto,†he said again, “What you’re helping him do…is the worst idea in the long, sad history of bad ideas. I...ah…hope you realize that.†Octavius regarded his former contemporary, then turned and left. *** The heroes had several cells in the Death Star’s detention block specially prepared for them, and there they sat in a row. “Cells,†said Marv dryly, “The story of my life.†“Arrrrrggh!†cried Donald, “These doors are magic-proof! These clowns have thought of everything!†“You can say that again,†said Sora, “There’s something in here that’s nullifying the keyblade.†Suddenly, the measured breathing alerted them to the presence of Darth Vader. He came to the cells and said “My master awaits you, Keybearer. You and you alone.†Ela got up the small window and shouted, “Anakin, stop this!†“Still haven’t learned to keep your mouth shut, have you?†said Vader. Ela shook his head. “This isn’t you. I know you…I know there’s still good in you!†Something in Vader’s energy shifted, and he seemed for a split second to be a very tired man. “It is…too late for me,†he said. “It’s never too late,†said Ela hopefully. Vader once again became menacing and emotionless. “Of course it is. Anakin Skywalker died with his wife and unborn child. Nothing can change that.†Ela racked his brain, and finally decided to do the one thing he swore he would never do. “Children,†he said. Vader turned. “What did you say?†“Children,†said Ela. “Twins. She had twins. A boy and a girl. Just before she died. They lived. Obi-Wan took them and entrusted them to me before he set out to find you. I heard you killed him.†Vader was silent. “Twins…†he whispered at length. Ela said “I’m told her last words were that she knew there was still good in you. She’s right, I can feel it. Won’t you please stop this madness? Haven’t you let Palpatine ruin your life enough? Please…for Luke and Leia…†Vader was very quiet. “Leia…She named the girl Leia?†“Just like you were always begging her to,†Ela said, feeling he was getting through at last. Vader stood there, unreadable. Suddenly, he opened the door to Sora’s cell and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slapped restraint cuffs on his wrists. “Thank you for the information, Ela, but my master awaits me.†Ela’s face dropped. “No, Anakin! You can’t turn them! I won’t let you!†As flames engulfed Ela’s cell, yet failed to reach beyond it, Vader said “You are in no position to make demands.†Vader turned and pushed Sora down the hall. As they were walking, Sora couldn’t help but give him dirty looks. “Ela told me about you,†said Sora, “While we were in the cells. He said you had an enormous power from life’s force. He said you used to use it for good, but now you’re twisted in darkness. And now, you’ll subject your own children to that? You’re a monster!†Vader ignored him. “The force is very strong with you, Keybearer, but it will not save you.†“I’ll take my chances,†said Sora. “General Grievous is not a practitioner of the force,†Vader continued, “for there is too little of him left that is organic. But he is one of the most skilled wielders of a lightsaber, particularly since he likes to use several at once.†“I don’t care!†yelled Sora. “You should, for my master will most likely have you duel him,†said Vader. “A lightsaber’s blade can only be stopped by another. Your weapon will be useless for blocking. It will grow back, your head will not.†“What does it matter to you?†asked Sora coldly. They reached the entrance to the throne room overlooking innerspace. Sora could see a throne in the distance, turned away from him, and Grievous monitoring some equipment on the other side of the room. Vader removed Sora’s restraint cuffs and, as he did, subtly slipped a small item into Sora’s hand. “More than you know,†Vader replied simply before turning and walking back down the corridor. Sora looked at the item. It was a scarlet crystal with a keychain attached to it. “Come forth, Keybearer,†a horrible voice said softly from the throne. Sora quickly pocketed the crystal chain and slowly approached the throne. It swiveled around and Sora saw a small, hooded man with a pale, deformed face smiling evilly at him. “My name is Palpatine,†he said, “The ruler of the Galactic Empire. We are expanding our territory a bit with the help of an old friend of yours, actually.†“Let me guess,†Sora said, “Xehanort?†Palpatine laughed. “I assure you, young one, that I have as much loathing for that man as you do. I know he will eventually try to supplant me once my usefulness to him has expired.†“Then why join him?†asked Sora. “So I can use his resources and eventually supplant him, of course,†said Palpatine. “You should know by now how the dark side operates. My orders were to destroy you. As if I can be ordered about like a common minion. Do not misunderstand me, I would derive great pleasure in carrying out your sentence, but I believe I have a better use for you.†“I know what you’re going to say,†said Sora, “You want me to join you and help you defeat Xehanort so you can take his place. Am I right?†At this, Palpatine laughed even more. A chilling sound that froze Sora’s blood. “Ahh, you’re quite perceptive, despite the numerous reports saying otherwise,†said Palpatine. “What do you say, boy? Let me teach you the ways of the Dark Side, and together we could end this destructive conflict and bring this universe to order. What do you say, my young apprentice?†Sora summoned the keyblade. “I say what I said to Marluxia. I’d rather be a white knight than a pawn for the darkness.†Palpatine looked at him sadly. “Then, my young friend, you will die.†*** Ela was banging his head against the walls of his cell. “I can’t believe I told him…I thought it would help him come back to the light, but instead I’ve doomed the twins…†“Aww, it’s not your fault,†said Donald, “Besides, Luke and Leia can take care of themselves.†“I dunno…†said Marv, “I mean, I don’t know these kids, but those two robo-goons look pretty bad.†Suddenly, just outside the cells, there was a sound of lasers firing, followed by a ghostly hum and the screams of dozens of Heartless. Then there was a crackle and all the doors slid open. Ela, Donald, and Marv ran out to see Vader standing over empty white armor and the remains of the control panel brandishing a strange weapon. “A laser…sword?†said Marv in disbelief. “Now I’ve seen everything.†Ela smirked. “You always were good with the lightsaber.†“Follow me,†said Vader, “I know where the plans are to this battle station. I’m sure we can find some kind of structural weakness, don’t you think?†*** Palpatine motioned over to Grievous who looked at Sora with horrid glee. He slipped off his cloak, holding onto four small metallic rods. Then his arms split down the middle for a grand total of four, each one holding a rod that produced brightly colored laser-blades. Grievous laughed as he began whirling the blades at dangerous speeds, disintegrating anything they came in contact with. Suddenly, he lunged. Sora managed to get away just in time, but the keyblade had been sliced in half. Sora leapt away, and as the key began to reform, he pulled out the crystal that Vader gave him. He clipped it onto the keyblade, which flashed and became just a metallic hilt. Grievous paused for a second, then laughed so hard he started hacking and large chunks of the floor melted beneath his sabers. Sora, meanwhile, noticed a switch on the hilt. He pressed it, and a red beam of energy emerged, much like Grievous’ weapons, except there was a notable tumbler-cut of a key at the end. Grievous stopped laughing, and Sora smiled. Grievous snarled and lunged again. This time, Sora blocked Grievous’ rapid blows with ease. Grievous kept slashing away so frantically that he mis-timed a blow and his top-right hand was sliced off. He looked at the burnt metal stump of his wrist indignantly and then caught Sora’s strike in crossed blades. “Weapon or not,†Grievous said, “surely you realize you are doomed.†“I think not,†said Sora, and blasted a Blizzard spell in Grievous’ face just as the General was about to use his third arm to gut Sora. Grievous staggered back as Sora swung and lost another hand and, therefore, another saber. Sora swung again and sliced open Grievous’ chest cavity that held his vital organs in a green sack. Grievous roared and kicked Sora across the room before running to the computer console and grabbing a blaster pistol. He fired a few shots and missed. Sora cast a fire spell that was a direct hit on Grievous’ exposed chest cavity. Whatever organic parts Grievous still had were instantly incinerated. With a gurgle, he fell down dead, his faceplate exploding off his head and landing at Palpatine’s feet. Sora turned. Palpatine was applauding. “Good, good,†said Palpatine, “You have proved your worth to me. Now, all you must do is destroy my other apprentice and take his place at my side. Then, your dark journey will be complete.†“I don’t think so, ‘Emperor,’†said Sora, “I’m still one of the good guys.†Palpatine looked at him solemnly. “So be it, Keybearer. If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed.†And with that, Palpatine splayed his fingers and shot a dark lightning at Sora. Sora had felt the effects of a Thunder spell before, but this was ten times more powerful. He felt like every molecule was screaming out in pain. It stopped, and for a brief moment Sora thought he was saved, but then the force-lightning started again. This was torture. Palpatine would stop every few seconds before blasting away again at full force. Sora felt like he wasn’t going to last much longer. This was confirmed when, through the haze of pain, he heard Palpatine say “Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you fully understand.†Sora felt the beginning of the death blow hit him. And then, again, it stopped. Sora was confused and thought Palpatine was playing with him some more, when he heard the awful screaming. He realized his eyes were closed, and worked hard to open them. He saw Vader holding Palpatine over his head, Palpatine’s lightning rebounding on both of them, Palpatine screaming, and Vader grunting. Vader slowly moved towards the reactor pit near the left side of the room and with great effort tossed Palpatine over the side. Palpatine’s screams grew fainter and fainter, and then what sounded like a quiet explosion sent a wave of dark energy shooting back up the shaft, which turned into Neoshadows. Sora tried to crawl quickly to Vader, who by his breathing was visibly injured, but Sora’s own wounds hindered him and the Neoshadows surrounded them both. At that moment, a fiery chakram flew in seemingly out of nowhere and destroyed the Neoshadows in one fell swoop. The chakram returned to its owner, Ela, who was running in with Donald by his side, and Marv firing a gun back down the hallway. “Are you two alright?†said Ela as Donald cast the Curaga spell on them. “I think so,†said Sora. “I’ll live, if you can call it that,†said Vader. “We’ll get you to the ship, and then we can blow this place, literally,†Ela said. “You two help them up,†said Marv, “Me and Gladys here will clear the way for you.†“You named your weapon ‘Gladys’?†said Vader? “Yeah,†said Marv, “After one of the Sisters from school. She’s almost lived up to the name.†As Marv ran ahead, gun blazing, Vader explained, “There’s a small thermal exhaust port on the outside of the station, roughly two meters wide. A direct hit with a photon torpuse a chain reaction and destroy this monstrosity once and for all.†“That’s great!†said Sora. Vader shook his head. “I should be destroyed with it, for what I’ve done to the people I care about.†“Shut up,†said Ela, “You’ve more than made up for it today.†They made their way to the hanger, where Goofy was standing near the door of the Gummi Ship. “All revved up and waiting to go, Ha-Yuck!†said Goofy cheerfully. After everyone was inside, Vader turned to Marv and said “Now, are you sure the tractor beam has been deactivated.†“Like I told ya,†said Marv, “It’s out of commission. Trust me.†Sora jumped behind the controls and the Gummi ship shot out of the Death Star’s hanger and began skimming the surface of the great space station. “Watch out for TIE Fighters,†said Vader, as more of the smaller ships that lead them here started shooting at them. Goofy and Ela took the gunning positing and kept the fighters at bay. “This trench here,†said Vader, “Follow it, and the port should be at the end. You need a direct hit or it won’t work.†Vader put his hand on Sora’s shoulder and looked out into the Force. Suddenly, he was everyone and everything, he could feel the past, present and future. “Now,†he said, squeezing on Sora’s shoulder, and Sora let the proton torpedo drop right into the exhaust port. They sped away as fast as they could. In the distance, they could see the Death Star explode in a blinding flash. They pushed the Gummi ship as far as it would go to escape the shockwave, and soon they were on their way once more
Naminé marveled as she sketched the odd-looking castle. Incredible architechture, she thought to herself, Just right here in the middle of nowhere. I don't think anyone knows it's here. I wonder who built it? or if there's anyone inside. She turned up the volume on her Walkman, as Kenny Rogers was cooly singing about how "I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in." Softly singing along, Naminé absentmindedly sketched. It took her a second to realize what she was actually sketching. Since she had stopped, the only think of the page was a black cloak, but it was unmistakable. Get a grip, girl, she told herself. Suddenly, she heard ruckus coming from inside the castle. She turned to leave, but a weird feeling came over her. Not knowing why, she pushed open the outer gates and walked towards the front door. *** All the while, a little man in an overlarge top hat was watching the entire goings on from a safe distance away. "This is going quite well," he said to no one in particular.
Xemnas' eyes snapped back open suddenly. "Why are you still here?" he said to Saix in a hourse whisper. "And why are you in my room?" he said to Vexen. "No time...I'll be all right...stop the creature! Protect the others! I'll join you when my strength returns. Go!" The horrible feeling that this creature's presence gave him was subsiding somehow. He couldn't understand it. He felt his strength returning, though he was still in no shape to fend off the despicable demon that had trespassed in his home. He started to feel a weird, warm sensation in his chest. He couldn't quite place it, but it was almost like... Oh NO! He looked out the window. Sure enough, just outside the castle gates, was a little blonde head perched atop a white sundress. She was just sitting on a wall outside the gates, admiring the castle and sketching it. I've got to get her out of here, he thought, and went to move and fell over again. Still too weak, but I'm sure it's her presence that's giving me a fighting chance. Still...I don't want her mixed up in all this... Xemnas made his way to the bed, tested his strength by attemtping to summon a legion of Sorcerer Nobodies. Only five showed up. "Well," he said, "That's better than nothing. Find a Heartless who resembles me and destroy it." The Sorcerers bowed and exited the room, but not before crashing into each other and everything else. We're doomed...
((Okay, this si so weird. Foxxie posted something, and then I did, and now both those posts are missing. Plus, a PM I got from Foxxie a week ago was listed as new and unreplied to. Basically, Xemnas and Saix are in Xemnas' tower room. After I fell on the floor, Saix, went over to him and Xemnas siad, weakly, that Saix should take a battalion of Berserkers to the castle doors and defend the others. I don't know what happened to any of this.))
Xemnas sighed. "I really do want to know, Saix. I really, really do. But if you're truly not comfortable, I won't force you." All of a sudden, his whole body jerked with pain, and he fell to the floor.
((OOC: If anyone is interested, I have a new AMV on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnsaFlV1oLk Xemnas vs. Marluxia: Knife Fight!)) "Saix, you've got to learn to open up," said Xemnas, in what he thought was a perfect interpretation of Saix's tone of voice from only paying half attention. "At least to me. Think of it this way...I am the Superior, am I not? Well, what kind of Superior would I be if I didn't fix any and all problems my so-called underlings may have? And once we've agreed to that, then answer me this: How can I fix the problem if I don't know what it is?"
((OOC: Today is my birthday! Woo! The big 2-1! Of course, 21 isn't as important a milestone to someone who is fundamentally anti-alchohol. But whatever. Yee! Also, normally, I'd wait for Foxxie to reply, but I wanted to address what Treah just wrote.)) As Xemnas waited for Saix's answer, Xemnas suddenly felt a chill go up his spine. He felt slightly more complete than he had in a long time, but at the same time cold and afraid. Not wanting to tip off Saix, he quickly glanced towards the window. He thought he saw something, but the figure was out of his sight range too quickly to be sure. It can't be..., he thought.
Xemnas raised his eyebrows. "Dreams are the window into the soul," he said before adding, "Wait, or was that 'eyes'? Anyway, the point is that often the nature of dreams can give us clues to troubles we might not even be fully aware we have. Then again, dreams can just be very strange. Just a few weeks ago, I dreamt I was swimming in a sea of socks like a cartoon miser might swim in gold coins. "I guess, in the end, what I'm trying to say is, put bluntly, spill it."
Xemnas nodded. "Okay," he said, "Everything. I have to say that topic is quite broad. It also seems like an exagguration since I doubt that the tree outside, the castle gates, and my South Park pajamas, to name a few, aren't muddling your thoughts as much as other things. If you were to be more specific," he smirked, "I may be able to better help you."
((OOC: I just got a job, so my posting window may or may not become shorter. But don't worry! I'm still here and committed!)) Xemnas shrugged. "We all have our moments, our hurts, our regrets," he said. "Have a seat," he added, gesturing towards the chair near the writing desk. "So," asked Xemnas, "What's on your mind tonight?"
Xemnas sighed. Perhaps, he thought, it might be fun to have someone to talk to... "You don't have to, Saix. Truth be told I wouldn't mind hte company." He chucked on an old t-shirt and a slightly worn pair of South Park boxers, and awaited Saix's reply.
Through the tears of his laughter, Xemnas heard Saix talking to him through the door. "I'm fine...ha...Siax, everything's fine," Xemnas choked, "Just...something struck my tired mind as funny."
((The following is based on a true story)) Xemnas did a double-take. After making a mess of his quarters, the Organization's superior had found an old, worn-out copy of "The Da Vinci Code." Figuring there was nothing better to do, he sat down to re-read it and found that he was just as engrossed as he had been on his first read, having of course forgotten everything about the book except for the basic plot. While turning the page to the next chapter, he saw a line that didn't quite make sense. Even though it was at the bottom of a page he hadn't read yet, he had to make sure he saw what he saw. "The wheels are in motion...", the passage read. When Xemnas had first spotted it out of the corner of his eye, it had looked like "Weasels". The weasels are in motion, he thought, Well, they certainly are. For some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on, this new interpretation struck a nerve and Xemnas began laughing hysterically, unable to do anything else for the next ten minutes.
Xemnas woke up with a start to find his bedsheets soaked with sweat. He hadn't been able to remember what he had been dreaming about, but looking at the clock he saw he had only been dreaming about it for two hours. He lay back down, found himself wide awake and unable to sleep, and decided to find something to read. He tore his room apart looking for something he hadn't read a thousand times before and finding nothing of the sort.
"Well that's just the strange of it, isn't it?" said Xemnas, "That's why I didn't want to discuss it yet. There are too many holes in the theory that you could drive a large vehicle through. And as much research as I have done and have been doing, there's still no way of knowing everything about the heart." Xemnas sighed. "I'm getting tired, my old friend. I'm going to bed. You're welcome to stay up here and finish off the bottle." And with that, Xemnas retreated to his room where he fell into a deep sleep. *** ((I won't be able to post more than once or twice a week during the summer, but rest assured I am still here and still committed to the RP. Don't worry. :-D))
((Just waiting for Xigbar to respond. Also, school's out and for some reason I can't log in at my father's, so I have to wait until I'm visitng mom to check up.))
