Chapter Text
Kairi didn't know what happened after the World of Destiny Island fell into darkness; all she could remember was having a splitting headache, and holding Sora in her arms as they were sucked into the orb in the sky. The next thing Kairi knew was that she was falling into an ocean and passing out from the pain. The weather in this world felt different from the warm and tranquil Destiny Island. The surrounding rain felt like she was in a hurricane, and the waves were relentless as she was getting battered and pounded by the rough waters, as in an instance she was under the waters.
—-----
"Hey, little girl, are you ok?" A voice called out as Kairi opened her eyes. Her eyes were woozy as the Auburn girl tried to come to her senses. Kairi noticed two people in front of her: a woman in a blue diving suit and a heavy-set man in more tactical gear. Everything felt weird when Kairi tried to stand; it felt like she was on a boat, and her view of the world kept spinning like she had been spun around one too many times for her liking.
"Where am I?" Kairi said, looking at the duo beside her. As she looked around, she noticed the rough ocean beneath her and the sight of a giant ship next to her.
"You're on the Queen, Zenobia. It's an abandoned ghost ship, and our next mission, little girl, um, what is your name?" Parker said, looking down at the girl in front of him. She couldn't have been any older than fourteen, and she raised some questions to the pair as he nodded over to his partner, Jill, who had just picked open the lock to the ship.
"Hey, little girl, what my partner is trying to say is, how did you get out here? Where's your family? Are you okay?" Jill Valentine asked, examining the girl's pulse and wondering if it was wise to call to take an unarmed girl into the Zenobia; after all, the copter wouldn't be back for at least another hour or more due to the weather.
"My name is Kairi! I don't know how I got out here; one second I was with my best friend, Sora, and then our island got attacked by weird monsters, and then it was sucked up out of nowhere. I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I don't want to be alone out here." Kairi said, looking at the BSAA agents. She could feel the rain continue to soak her clothes; her skin was freezing, and she'd probably get a cold once this was all over.
"Parker, let's move! Kairi, we've got to go inside this ship, so we can find another member of ours, so do as we say, and everything will be okay." Jill told the group, quickly handing the teen a pistol with one clip full of bullets, making the girl look at her with a look that screamed worried.
"But I've never used a weapon before outside a wooden sword. Why give me a gun?" Kairi asked the brown-haired woman, who looked at her with a serious look on her face.
"Because if things go south, and we're unable to protect you, you'll be able to protect yourself till we can get to you!" Parker told Kairi, pulling out a shotgun from his pack. Jill almost pulled out her gun, but instead looked over to Kairi, who was doing her best to understand the weapon.
The handgun felt heavy in Kairi's hands. Jill helped her with her stance, gripping the weapon, and reloading quickly. It was a good idea, in Kairi's opinion; she needed some training with the weapon, and once she felt ready, the trio entered the old ghost ship. After all, who knew what was lurking inside the Zenobia, whether it was human or something else?
—-----------
Sora was nervous, as he watched the blonde-haired woman in the wetsuit in front of him. She had been looking at the white stuff that was leaking from the vent for a good minute, and in Sora's opinion, she wasn't liking it as much as she was.
"So why are you having to do this again?" Sora let out a cry, asking Racheal. As the blonde turned to look at him, Sora turned her head, trying his best not to look at her assets and the nice smile she had.
"I've got to find out what's going on in this place. Well, that's what my boss told me. Although I'm betting it was just a cover-up for something more secretive that my partner Raymond is looking into.," Racheal said, showing the spiky-haired teen the mysterious white substance that had coated her gloved hand.
"I guess there's nothing we can do about it?" Sora let out a sigh, saying that he probably wouldn't be able to find Riku and Kairi in this giant ship, let alone the fact that he didn't know how big the world was going to be. However, before Racheal could respond to Sora, a noise could be heard from the vent. Rachel and Sora quickly backed up as a white monster popped out of the vent. The monster groaned, walking over to them and raising its spiked, massive arm at the duo.
Racheal fired several shots into the monster, and Sora hit the thing a few times with his key blade. The monster fell to the floor, quickly moaned, and turned into a mess of ooze and blood on the floor. However, the celebration would have to wait, as several more ooze-like creatures started to come out from everywhere—the floors, the vent, through the door they had entered from.
—--------
"f*ck!" Racheal shouted as she grabbed Sora's left arm and ran with all her might, gripping her pistol tightly, as they ran through hallways upon hallways and an unknown level of stairs. Racheal, had to get away from the monsters and protect Sora. Sure, the kid had a strange sword, and they were together. But that didn't matter. With the monsters appearing around every corner and hallway they entered, Rachael fired the last of her handgun bullets, tossing her gun at one of the monsters in fear, as Sora ran towards the elevator in the middle of the hallway, rapidly pounding the button, wishing it would come faster.
"Come on, Come on, Come on!" Sora said, ready to hit the elevator with his keyblade, as the monsters came closer, surrounding him and Racheal, As the doors finally opened, Sora, and Racheal quickly booked it inside and slammed a button to take them down to an unknown floor. They thought they'd be safe inside the small metal box, but that was a lie. One of the monsters appeared behind them, swinging its arm towards the group, hitting Racheal in the leg, and Sora in his chest.
"Ah!" Sora yelled, grabbing at his chest. Blood was running down his stomach and onto the floor. The doors opened, and Sora rammed his key blade into the monster's face, giving the duo enough time to limp away. The pain was unbelievable; blood continued to drip from Sora's wound, and Racheal wasn't holding up any better, as her leg was giving out of her, slowing the pair down as they rushed through a door, hoping to find somewhere to hide, even if it was for a minute, only to find a rundown medical bay with destroyed cabinets and shelves, a large vent, and a glass window.
—------------
Hold on, Sora; I've got some medical supplies and painkillers. We'll fix you up, and then get out of this horrible ship," Racheal said, fishing out a bottle of pills and gauze from one of the hip pockets on her wetsuit. Placing them on the ground, as she rested the teen against the wall, Racheal didn't want to say it out loud to Sora, but they were f*cked. Those monsters were everywhere, and Raymond was on a different part of the ship, and the radio was broken when that monster slashed into her leg.
"I don't want to die, Racheal!" Sora wheezed as he started to cough up blood, making the blond woman panic even more. She had to hurry, grabbing some of the pills and placing them into Sora's mouth, but the teen could barely swallow them; the pain was too much for him to handle, spitting the meds out in an instance. As the sounds of more monsters echoed in the room, Racheal quickly noticed that multiple monsters were in the room. Quickly picking up Sora to try and run or fight, Sora screamed as the pain of standing felt like he was being cut by razor blades and poured with seawater and lemons.
"sh*t!" Sora cursed, tears rolling down his face as more blood poured onto the floor. The key blade felt shaky in his hand, falling to the ground in an instant and returning to his right hand in a flash of light. He was going to die; they weren't going to survive another fight with the monsters, let alone escape this room, even if they killed them all.
"Sora, what was your home like?" Racheal said, making Sora look at the woman with a look of confusion and sadness. She was probably asking him about Destiny Island, hoping to find some comfort in their death, Sora gave her a sad, yet bloody smile.
"It was nice, surrounded by a clear blue sea, and beautiful sand; it was warm, and the people were the best. Everyone made the days when I was miserable all the more soothing to deal with. My Friends Riku and Kairi and I were going to build a raft and set sail to find other worlds during our summer vacation. What a fun vacation this turned out to be. First, my home was destroyed by ant-like monsters, and now I'm about to die from these things. "Sora said, letting go of Racheal, only for the woman to grab him and hold him against her chest.
"At least you can say, you got to meet a pretty woman during your vacation, and if you'd like, I'll be your mom, for a moment. If it gives you any comfort before we die?" Racheal whispered as the monsters raised their massive arms, ready to strike the pair down.
"Thank you, Mom!" Sora said, raising the key blade to protect him with the last of his strength, only for the monsters, or oozes, as they were dubbed by Racheal. They grabbed hold of Racheal, Sora could hear her panting as the Ooze choked her, opening its mouth to reveal its tongue, sticking the slimy thing into her mouth, and then proceeded to toss the blond into the glass window as blood exploded from Racheal's skull and back. Sora wanted to scream; he wanted to kick the Ooze holding him, but he couldn't, as multiple Oozes held him down, with one of the monsters looking at the key blade in his hand.
Sora tried to scream, but the monster's slime and thick flesh stopped any attempt at screaming. Their tongues were inside his stomach, and one of the monsters put its tongue down his throat, causing Sora to vomit out slime and blood. However, his death wasn't going to be as quick as Racheal's, no one of the monsters had a different idea to improve upon their ranks. As it took its massive, spiked arm and slammed it against the key blade, breaking Sora's hand in an instant, as the teen's vision started to get hazy, as Sora could hear footsteps in the distance, and the next thing Sora felt was his back hitting something hard, and the sound of snapping and pounding lingering in his mind was the last thing Sora, could see as he opened his eyes, as the image of Riku.
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Kairi had a bad feeling about the ghost ship. Jill and Parker started to lead her into the ghost ship, and for some reason, Kairi didn't know why she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. For some unknown reason, things weren't right, like a part of her heart was being torn in two, but he had to be strong, and she had to find Sora again. The first room looked a mess and was littered with trash and papers; it was like a bomb hit the room. The deeper they went, it didn't look any better, as if each room was more damaged and spooky than the one that came before it.
Kairi kept whispering to herself that it was just a ghost ship. Everything would be okay. She just had to think of this like the stories Sora’s mom would tell them as kids. The endings were always so happy and not scary in the slightest. Sure, the brown-haired woman was clearly lying, but it was a nice thought, and Kairi currently needed nice thoughts. Jill and Parker quickly opened a door and quickly checked the room, signaling for Kairi to follow.
—----
The next room on the ship was much bigger and looked like a quick storage room. But then again, it was a giant ship, so it could have been a side room. The ship was massive, and combing the place was probably going to take hours, to days even.
“Kairi, stand back, please! Jill let out a fancy-looking machine as Kairi looked down to see her feet covered in white, cold slime. Kairi quickly jumped onto a nearby suitcase as Jill scanned the mysterious goo.
“Looks like we've got company; this goo matches those giant creatures from the beach!” Jill stated this as she quickly put the scanner away and drew out her handgun.
“Jill, Kairi! I found some blood; it looks like we're not alone on this ship.” Parker said, kicking the door open. As the trio moved deeper into the next part of the ship, the deeper they went down, the more things felt for Kairi as her head started to hurt. She had hoped it was just the ship violently turning through the storm, but her head was still pounding. Jill quickly stopped her.
The group stopped in a giant hallway with an elevator that would likely take them down to a lower level of the ship. Jill immediately grabbed a green herb in pill form, handing the pill to Kairi. As Parker started hearing things, he started to check the open elevator, only to look at a nearby vent that had blood dripping. Seconds later, more noises could be heard, louder, as whatever was in the vent started thrashing, heading deeper into the ship.
“Jill, Kairi! Something is in the vents!” Parker yelled as he pointed his gun at the vents, and the sounds of banging could be heard throughout the hallway.
"It looks like whoever is in the ship, is also having trouble with whatever is lurking in the ship.” Kairi let out, holding her lucky charm closer to her chest, as Jill and Parker looked at the vent, shooting it once. As a body fell from the vent, its body was gushing with blood, and Jill quietly noticed that the man’s right arm had morphed into a large, slimy mass.
“Hopefully whatever is on this ship isn't too bad! Maybe we'll be lucky to get zombies, what do you think, Jill?” Parker responded, looking over to his partner, he knew that Kairi must have lived a pretty normal life, if not a sheltered one if she never heard of zombies, based on their meeting up top. So the best idea was to slowly ease the young girl into the issue, and then possibly give her a weapon.
“I hope you're right, Parker, but Zombies don't have slime, so possibly Lickers could be lurking in the ship. “ Jill added, as the trio headed deeper into the ship, doors were blocked with fallen shelves and boxes. The further they made into the giant hallway, the more slime was pouring from the vents, making Jill think it wasn't a Licker or any regular zombie.
“So, what's a Licker?” kairi whispered, curious about what the possible monster would be like as the trio made it to the outside of what looked like a cafeteria.
“Well, in simple terms, a Licker is a zombie that's become more animal-like; its brain is exposed, and it can't see. Its hearing is strong, however, flashbangs can overpower its limited sight. The best way to fight a Licker is a large hallway, a shotgun, or something acidic to hurt the skin since it's all exposed skin, muscle, and bone. Hopefully, that answers your question, Kairi, please let me know if you have any more; after all, these moments of silence might be the only ones we get tonight.” Jill stated, watching the Auburn-haired girl nod, that she hoped Kairi would be okay. It wasn't right for a kid to have to deal with a B.O.W. issue and have to fight through it.
Jill could still remember the night that Rebecca Chambers came to her apartment after the Spencer estate, how the youngest star member couldn't sleep alone knowing the things they had dealt with. Jill knew that if things got ugly, then she’d have to take more drastic measures to keep Kairi alive. She wouldn't let the young teen become like Rebecca, and even herself had in those days after the incident. The sleepless nights, the nightmares eating away at you, the feeling of helplessness as the higher-ups controlled every second of your life till the lid was blown open.
“Kairi, after we're done in the cafeteria and kitchen, I am going to teach you how to use that firearm I gave you. I don't want you getting hurt if we get separated down the line, ok?” Jill declared, readying her handgun. Parker gave the brown-haired woman a thumbs up. It was time to delve deeper into the ship, and little did they know it was about to get a lot worse.
“I'll do my best, Jill!” Kairi shouted, giving the Bsaa agent a mock salute and readying her fist for whatever was down the line. Jill smiled for a second. Kairi truly was the group's Rebecca, and in all honesty, it was something needed for the group. Someone to keep the party happy and supportive, knowing they have something to protect.
—--
Kairi, just to let you know! We weren't the only units the Bsaa sent to this ship. Soon, the specialists in this kind of work will regroup and join us; the reaper will liven things up a bit.” Parker declared, telling the teen, hoping that things would go smoother when Dr. Death would be known to the girl and make this job more manageable.
—---
A few minutes later, Kairi, Jill, and Parker entered the cafeteria. The large room was littered with trash and other forms of debris. Kairi assumed that the crew must have been in a panic, and things went bad. But the question then arose as the group went deeper: where was the crew, or what was left of them, given the dead body from earlier?
“Jill, I see a power box; I'll go check it out. Why don't you start helping Kairi with her gun?” Parker said, running over to a fuse box that was next to a vending machine. The box was busted open, with wire sparking and spilling out, and Parker could see more slime from earlier. Something was close, and he didn't like that; the trio only had a few handguns and some herbs. They'd have to get lucky and wait for the reaper if they were going to make it out in one piece.
“Kairi, the first thing I want you to do is follow my lead, ok? First, check to see if the safety is on or off. The second thing is to pull the mag and check to see how many bullets are left. If the gun feels heavy, it's mostly full; if it feels light, that means it's empty. Once you have the gun loaded and the safety off, make sure your hand has a good grip on the gun, point to what you're attempting to shoot, and pull the trigger.” Jill demonstrated to the teen by clicking the safety on and off a few times, then proceeding to eject the magazine from her pistol and dump the bullets onto a nearby table, quickly reloading the gun with speed.
Kairi was in awe at the sight before her. Jill was like a blur, as in an instant, the gun was loaded and pointed at a painting in the distance. Jill pulled the trigger, and a loud bang could be heard. Kairi couldn't believe how fast it was, how the bullet had hit the painting, and how simple Jill made it look.
Kairi quickly looked at her gun, took the safety off, and quickly checked the magazine; it was full, so she slid the clip back into the gun after a few seconds of figuring it out. She aimed for the same painting as Jill, carefully looking in front of her as well as down the sight of the gun, where a scope could be attached. Gently, gently, she pulled the trigger as the bullet left the chamber, and the feeling of recoil was sent through her hand. Kairi looked in excitement as the bullet hit the wall near Jill’s bullet, causing the teen to smile. It wasn't perfect, but it was good for the first try.
“Good job, but remember to keep count of your ammo and take your time shooting, or you might hit me or Parker. Kairi, that was good. I must say you could be a good shot with more practice and training.” Jill said, complimenting her new student. Kairi smiled, rubbing her hand, after putting the gun away in her purse.
“Good, Kairi has some training; now then to the kitchen; I think our slimy friend must be inside.” Parker let out, as the group looked at the kitchen doors, carefully entering the room, Kairi quickly grabbed her gun, ready to provide backup if needed.
When Jill, Parker, and Kairi entered the kitchen, they quickly noticed things weren't right. A dead man was grabbing at the grate in the center of the kitchen; his arm was covered in blood and slime, and half of his arm was stuck inside the disgusting mess below. The rest of the kitchen was a nightmare—sinks full of black liquid and rotten meat, empty cans on the floor—no one was inside the kitchen, but Jill suddenly noticed something shining from under the grate, ordering Parker to help her lift the grate after removing the dead crew member with Kairi’s, so the man’s arm would cause any problems.
“Kairi, help Parker support the grate, I'll use my scanner and see what's down there!” Jill asked, grabbing the scanner from her hip, and checking the hole, as Kairi groaned, helping Parker hold the heavy metal up.
“What is it, Jill?” Kairi yelled, as the teen groaned, knowing that whatever was down that hole probably wasn't a good sign.
“It's an arm, and it had a gun! Looks like our dead friend was attempting to save someone before something got him.” Jill declared, as a moaning sound could be heard, Jill quickly turned around, as Parker and Kairi dropped the grate, and pulled out their guns aiming at what seemed to be a monster rising from the kitchen floor. The monstrous humanoid had long pointy teeth and spikes coming out of its arms and legs. It had a long tongue-like tentacle that it extended quickly roaring, as the creature swung its spiked arm at Jill, who proceeded to duck down, Parker began uploading on the creature, and Kairi added to the gunfire a second later after regaining herself as the gun shook in her trembling arms.
Jill raised her handgun, pulled the trigger, and unloaded a few shots into the monster's face, as it moaned in pain, his body fell to the floor, quickly turning into a pile of blood and slime. Jill and Parker quickly reloaded their weapons, while Kairi shakily tried to reload her gun, that monster was her first fight and first kill. She thought the idea of play fighting and then getting a weapon would be fun, but seeing it in real life was something else.
“Kairi, I'll be ok! You can breathe, the monster is gone and you did well.” Jill said, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder, smiling at the auburn-haired girl, as she took the girl from the girl's arms, helping her reload for the next time.
“I know you're scared; the first couple of times are always the hardest, but just remember We're here with you, so you don't have to be scared. So put on a brave face, Kairi! Together we are unstoppable, and these monsters won't stand a chance.” Parker declared, making the teen smile as she put on her best smile for the group. They were right; she had to be strong to survive, to save Sora.
“Alright, I'm ready! Kairi shouted as Jill handed the girl back her firearm.
“At least now we know what happened to the crew; hopefully Chris is ok!” Jill let out, making Kairi wonder who Chris was and what was with the odd monster. They had unloaded probably ten shots into the ooze, and the creature only died after Jill shot it in the head. Suddenly a thought quickly entered Kairi’s mind: if there were more of these things on the ship, then was Sora also here, and if so, where was he?
—----
Meanwhile, on a helicopter, a masked man dressed in black looked at Queen Zenobia. Hunk wondered what the others were getting up to. But that wouldn't change the mission: Kill any hostel threats, regroup with the Bsaa units, and locate and extract Chris.
Hunk pulled out a photograph; he had a feeling things would be rough, just like that mission in Florida. His red lens of the gas mask looked down to see a woman; her blond, wavy hair covered her eyes, but she smiled next to the reaper, no fear when death looked her in the face. Hunk slipped the photo back into his pocket as he raised his LE-5.
“Rachel! It looks like your angel of death has returned!” Hunk let out, as the pilot gave him the signal, that they'd be landing soon and then the body count would truly begin.
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The weather had gotten worse when Hunk arrived at the ghost ship; the red lens of his eyes shielded him from the harsh rain. The grim reaper looked around the outside of the ship as it tossed and turned violently in the storm. Hunk knew the mission would be an interesting one; the government only sent him if it was a life-or-death situation or the targets were of the utmost importance.
“Jill, Parker, come in! This is Hunk; do you copy?” Hunk commanded as he pressed his comet, receiving only static, knowing that the weather would make it more difficult to communicate with the others. So Hunk started running. He knew that it was a ghost ship, but he had seen worse during his time in Spain. Quickly, the grim reaper made his way to the front door, kicking it while holding his gun tightly in his hands and looking around the first few rooms that looked like someone was in a hurry.
"It looks like whatever happened here was only the beginning!” Hunk declared, looking at what seemed to be an ooze sack that had been cut open as its sticky slime coated the room. It could only mean that whatever monsters were on the ship had fought Jill, and that more were spawning at an alarming rate.
—--
Hunk quickly kicked another door open, and as he saw it, a bioweapon that was tall and humanoid was surrounded by what seemed to be walking bean-shaped creatures that were shaking violently. Hunk raised his gun, shooting a couple of shots into the beans, first watching as they exploded with only a few bullets each, letting Hunk know that those monsters weren't to be messed with in close quarters, while the taller monster simply moaned as it slowly limped over to him compared to the beans quicker attempt at running at him. But Hunk didn't even bother to shoot the ooze as it raised its spiked arm. Hunk simply ran around the creature mid-swing and placed his arms around the creature's slimy neck, twisting it like it was a piece of candy. Hunk could feel his fingers twitch as the feeling of breaking a neck entered his mind, reminding him of how easy it was to kill monsters just like that chainsaw man when he teamed up with Leon to save the president's daughter.
But he couldn't stop; more monsters moaned as they started to rise from the floor beneath him, meaning it was time to run again. Hunk quickly made his way down numerous hallways, until he arrived at a massive room with elevators, and more branching paths, as he heard the sounds of gunfire in the distance. Deciding to run towards the sounds of gunfire, as it would either lead him to a survivor or an enemy unit that might have answers.
—--
Hunk ran through the old-looking café as the sounds of moaning grew louder. He was right outside the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the ooze dying. He could hear Jill inside as she was speaking to what sounded like a teenage girl.
Hunk quietly opened the door, looking down at the bloody remains of one of the oozes he had killed just moments ago. Quietly, he gazed around the kitchen. Jill was comforting the Auburn-haired girl; Hunk could tell she was new to this whole thing and was probably the first time using a gun. Parker was used to the monster and tried to understand it by comparing it to the similar monsters that were on the beach a few days ago.
“I see you're still in one piece; have you found Chris and Jessica yet? Who is the girl? Is she a survivor of this ship?” Hunk said, raising his voice, sterling the group, quickly lowering their guns as the reaper walked over to the next door in their path
“Hunk, give us some warning next time, we nearly shot you, and to answer your questions. No, we haven't found the others, and Kairi here was drifting in the ocean, so we had no choice but to bring her along, she’s holding her own, so she won't get in the way!” Parker stated walking over to the grim reaper, he started opening the door while Jill stood behind to keep Kairi safe from the rear, not knowing if or when more monsters would appear.
“Hunk, have you seen any more of those monsters, or my friend, Sora!” Kairi whispered to the mysterious soldier, as he finally got the door open, proceeding to turn and look down at the teen.
“I have not seen anyone living but you guys, if your friend is alive he must be deeper down with Racheal. I've seen more of these bioweapons, they appear to be growing in numbers, and some have been explosive, so we need to take care going forward.” Hunk declared, taking a moment to reload his LE-5 and toss a knife at Kairi’s feet.
“She’ll need a backup piece in a place like this! Now let's move before those ooze-like monsters pop up!” Hunk said, walking through the door to find more abandoned hallways littered with trash, broken glass, and papers. Kairi could feel the wind hitting her as the group walked by the broken windows, Kairi started to remember when her island was being attacked by the weird shadow monsters. How they chased her, tearing through the islanders and anything to get ahold of her only to be saved by Sora in the end when Riku was taken by the puddle of darkness growing under his feet. It made her wonder if Sora was ok, she didn't know if she could keep going with the group knowing that she was keeping up the brave face, and attempting to be a gun-toting hero just to find her friend so that they could return home one day.
“Kairi, are you ok? I know this is hard, but you have to believe that your friend is ok, I know what it's like to be worried about others. Chris needs me to find him, so that we can get back to protecting people, I'm sure that Sora would probably feel the same way about you. So no more sad faces Kairi, those will only slow you down, and I still stand by what I said. You're a good shot and honestly have the making of a good soldier. If you want to be one, just take it slow and think about what's going on around you before jumping to conclusions.” Jill whispered to the teen, making Kairi smile just a little, she needed that speech, she had to be strong and knew that Sora wouldn't want her to be sad about this crazy adventure. He’d probably want her to enjoy the craziness while trying to find him.
The weather had gotten worse when Hunk arrived at the ghost ship; the red lens of his eyes shielded him from the harsh rain. The grim reaper looked around the outside of the ship as it tossed and turned violently in the storm. Hunk knew the mission would be an interesting one; the government only sent him if it was a life-or-death situation or the targets were of the utmost importance.
“Jill, Parker, come in! This is Hunk; do you copy?” Hunk commanded as he pressed his comet, receiving only static, knowing that the weather would make it more difficult to communicate with the others. So Hunk started running. He knew that it was a ghost ship, but he had seen worse during his time in Spain. Quickly, the grim reaper made his way to the front door, kicking it while holding his gun tightly in his hands and looking around the first few rooms that looked like someone was in a hurry.
"It looks like whatever happened here was only the beginning!” Hunk declared, looking at what seemed to be an ooze sack that had been cut open as its sticky slime coated the room. It could only mean that whatever monsters were on the ship had fought Jill, and that more were spawning at an alarming rate.
—--
Hunk quickly kicked another door open, and as he saw it, a bioweapon that was tall and humanoid was surrounded by what seemed to be walking bean-shaped creatures that were shaking violently. Hunk raised his gun, shooting a couple of shots into the beans, first watching as they exploded with only a few bullets each, letting Hunk know that those monsters weren't to be messed with in close quarters, while the taller monster simply moaned as it slowly limped over to him compared to the beans quicker attempt at running at him. But Hunk didn't even bother to shoot the ooze as it raised its spiked arm. Hunk simply ran around the creature mid-swing and placed his arms around the creature's slimy neck, twisting it like it was a piece of candy. Hunk could feel his fingers twitch as the feeling of breaking a neck entered his mind, reminding him of how easy it was to kill monsters just like that chainsaw man when he teamed up with Leon to save the president's daughter.
But he couldn't stop; more monsters moaned as they started to rise from the floor beneath him, meaning it was time to run again. Hunk quickly made his way down numerous hallways, until he arrived at a massive room with elevators, and more branching paths, as he heard the sounds of gunfire in the distance. Deciding to run towards the sounds of gunfire, as it would either lead him to a survivor or an enemy unit that might have answers.
—--
Hunk ran through the old-looking café as the sounds of moaning grew louder. He was right outside the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the ooze dying. He could hear Jill inside as she was speaking to what sounded like a teenage girl.
Hunk quietly opened the door, looking down at the bloody remains of one of the oozes he had killed just moments ago. Quietly, he gazed around the kitchen. Jill was comforting the Auburn-haired girl; Hunk could tell she was new to this whole thing and was probably the first time using a gun. Parker was used to the monster and tried to understand it by comparing it to the similar monsters that were on the beach a few days ago.
“I see you're still in one piece; have you found Chris and Jessica yet? Who is the girl? Is she a survivor of this ship?” Hunk said, raising his voice, sterling the group, quickly lowering their guns as the reaper walked over to the next door in their path
We’re approaching the showers; be careful, Kairi! I hear more of those oozes nearby, and you better be ready for anything." Hunk said as the group made it up a flight of stairs, standing only a few feet from the shower hall and locker room. Parker and Jill entered first, Kairi took the middle of the squad, and Hunk took the back to protect Kairi in case those monsters tried to ambush them from behind.
—------
It had taken only a few minutes for the group to be in the center of the showers; ice-cold water was bursting from the damaged pipes, and the sounds of ooze were fading, making Kairi wonder what was going on. These strange monsters didn't seem like the kind that begins to be scared; if anything, they seemed different the closer the group etched towards the medical bay. Like, did they have a plan to ambush them in numbers where it would have been easier in the tight halls of the showers?
“Something is wrong; I don't like it!” Parker whispered, grabbing his blade from his hip. Kairi could only nod; it was almost like those black shadows that Sora fought on their island. They were unpredictable and yet dumb as rocks, to the point that any traps were from bad luck rather than any meaningful attempts at hurting them.
“In any case, we should still proceed as planned; these monsters could still try and pop up out of nowhere, so getting to a more open area is necessary.” Jill added, gripping her pistol tightly as the group was silent. The only things they could hear were the sounds of water and the harsh weather raging outside. Little did the group know the moment they arrived at the medical bay would be the beginning of their problems aboard the Queen Zenobia.
—---
The first thing Jill noticed was blood. She quickly raised her pistol and signaled to the others that someone had been murdered, as Hunk grabbed hold of Kairi, making sure the teen didn't rush into the medical bay. Her eyes were focused on that room, and her mind raced, hoping that it wasn't Sora, Kairi just wished that it wasn't the worst possible outcome of this horror show her life had become. Maybe Sora was on a different part of the ship or drifted further into the sea, hopefully on dryer land. Kairi could feel a stabbing feeling in her stomach, quickly growing as the group made it to the outside of the medical bay.
Hunk took out a shotgun from one of the many side packs he had, while Parker did his best to keep Kairi together, knowing that the girl was starting to lose it. He decided it was best to keep her close to him if she wasn't, so that he could make sure she didn't do anything too rash. Kairi’s mind was getting the best of her, and Parker knew that if the blood on the other side of the glass was her friend, then she’d most likely pass out. Jill silently turned the knob, opened the door to the medical bay, and walked inside as the rest of the group followed with Kairi in the back, just in case it was Sora’s corpse.
Jill looked over at the massive puddle of blood that littered the floor of the medical bay. The bodies were fresh, and judging by their injuries, they were definitely victims of those ooze-like monsters. The blond-haired woman had her head smashed against the walls and looked like she had been through hell. But the one next to her made Jill’s heart skip a beat, as she rushed over to Kairi shielding the teen but was too late, as Kairi could see it, see Sora’s body.
“Sora, oh god, no!” Kairi screamed as tears rolled down her face. Kairi ran next to the teen, shaking him, hoping that he wasn't dead, hoping that he was just near the point of death or unconscious. She gently touched his cheek, but he never responded.
Kairi didn't know why, but she decided it was best to hug her friend, knowing that he must have been fighting to see her again, fighting to protect the blond woman from the oozes, but they were probably outnumbered. Kairi felt her hand rub against something cold as she looked down to see Sora’s key blade, making her want to vomit. The blade looked like it was ramming straight through his right arm up to the elbow. Kairi quickly backed up from Sora at that moment, looked around the medical bay, found the closest sink, and began throwing up at the sight of her friend.
"It looks like these monsters are more powerful than I gave them credit for. I think it would be best if we stayed here for a moment, as much as I hate the idea of being next to the dead. If those monsters return, we’d need more room; besides, we might as well learn what the FBC and Kairi’s friend were doing on this ship.” Parker said, walking over to Kairi and watching her as she sobbed into the sink, standing shaky.
“Kairi, why don't you tell us who Sora was? Maybe it'll give us some way to help comfort you in this painful time.” Jill whispered, gently rubbing the teen’s back as she let Kairi break down, watching the never-ending tears and fits of forced coughs escape the girl. Kairi turned her head, looking at Jill, as she planted her face against the brown-haired woman.
—---
Sora could hear her, the tears she shed, and the bright light of her heart that warmed him despite the cold feeling he was enduring. His body was in pain, unable to move. As he listened to her suffer, he wanted to make somebody pay, and as his mind tried to connect the dots, he knew those oozes—the ones that killed and infected him—and his new mother would have to die. Riku was another one to make suffer; he destroyed their island, families, their chance at seeing other worlds, and feeling like life was perfect.
He could feel the parasite inside his body; it was pulsing and worming its way inside his body. Soon, Sora would be less human than he ever thought possible. He could feel his body changing as his cold skin felt slimy, and his teeth sharpened as a desire for flesh and blood started forming in his mind. He watched Kairi as she left the comfort of the tasty morsel standing next to him. Sora could smell her; she smelt as wonderful as the pretty blue-haired woman who visited their island all those years ago.
“Sora was my friend, he was my best friend, alongside Riku. We lived in a different world called Destiny Island. It's funny how Riku joked about our idea of the raft killing us at sea. But here we are Sora, trapped in a ship full of monsters and you were the first of us to perish. I feel like this has been the cruelest form of irony to enter our lives.
“I hope that you're in a better place. I don't know if that's possible, but I hope that you and this woman next to you will be okay in the afterlife, and one day I'll see you again. I'm sorry, Sora. Not only that, but I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to save you on the island or on this ship. But I promise you that I will get stronger and make sure that no one else has to suffer the same way you did.” Kairi declared, leaving her friend. The group took one last look at the dead bodies, changing their minds about camping in this cruel room as they carried onward to the ghost ship.
Sora felt tears rolling down his face as spikes grew from his body, flesh, and bone shifted around his keyblade until the blade was one with his arm. His left arm was splitting in two, the pain was unbearable, but Sora could only lay in the cold puddle of blood as he heard Rachael coming to life. Soon they would be together and soon things were gonna die. Sora didn't know if he’d be able to stop himself or his mom from feasting upon Kairi and the others, but he hoped that he had enough light to keep the beast inside of him from killing his friend.
“Momma, it hurts! It hurts!” Sora moaned as the teen stood up off the floor, rushing over to a journal that was nearby. Rachael shifted towards the book, quickly writing something down, as the pair screamed and moaned in pain.
—--
“Soon, you'll be perfect to be one of the thirteen.” A voice whispered behind the blood-stained glass from the outside of the medical bay. Kay looked at the hideous-looking monsters as they embraced, feeling the smallest bits of humanity linger before another tragic fate would befall them.
Beyond ooze and pain
Chapter Summary
Ooze and pain 1,2
Sora opened his eyes as he tried smiling at the air, only to be assaulted with the smell of rust and blood. The smell lingered inside for a long while as the sounds of two women whispered outside of the darkroom he was being held in.
Sora wanted to smell them; he wanted to taste their blood. Were they tasty or just the same meat that he had gotten from that doctor after Queen Zenobia? After he lost his mom and was shot to near death again by Kairi and those other hunks of meat. Sora could still feel the bullet wounds as his leaking blood was consumed by the layer of slime that coated his body. It wasn't pretty but it wasn't like he could fix himself. Heck, Sora didn't even wish for that to happen; he just wanted to feel loved again, or at least wish for his mother to be alive. Not some oozy monster like him, but a real human again, to enjoy the warmth of the islands that he felt, Sora wondered if it was too much to ask, knowing that the Doctor said things aren't permanent in your line of work.
Sora wondered what he meant by that; it wasn't like the key blade had helped him accomplish much beyond being a pain to deal with, and being able to get around any locks. But Sora couldn't move his body and felt like it was encased by the weight of the world. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing the two women; the first one was interesting to Sora. They had a green tail and green skin, blue shell bras, and a big grin on their faces, as if something fun were happening. A yellow trident was resting in the mermaid's hands as she swam toward him, flying through the air as if it were the same as water.
“Wow, number nine, you have an interesting one, like this is crazy; he’s all slimy and spooky. Do you have a plan for our oozy friend? I'd hate for the others to send their champions after this one, let alone send him to another universe and cause things to go off the rails.” Six inquired, looking at the monstrous form of Sora. He was the most difficult of the others; the closest she could picture next to the bioweapon was Liliana, or number five, Sora. The broken ones didn't get a good upbringing compared to her beautiful Sora, who, in her humble opinion, had the best and most romantic relationships.
“I want him to fight the others and go through the ever-blooming program!” Nine declared, looking at the monster in front of her, its bloodstained key blade scraping against the metal chains that held the ooze in place as Sora shook in an attempt to get free from his makeshift prison.
The sixth, Kay, just looked at her sister in shock at the words uttered from her sister's mouth. She could feel her blood pressure starting to increase at the stupidity of nine. This wasn't something as simple as a meet-and-greet; this was about giving an unstable and tragic monster a second chance if Sora could understand them. Which made the sixth Kay wonder if Sora could understand them.
“Hey, Slimy, can you understand us? Raise one arm for yes, two for no, get it!” Six declared, watching the ooze shift and jolt until Sora had enough understanding, raising one arm and offering the green-skinned woman a toothy grin.
“I see tasty morsels; I will fight them!” Sora said as he did his best to understand the strange pair and their interactions in front of him as he watched the shadowy figures of the people just beyond the door. He could smell them; one was fishy, one was sweet, one was stale, one was spicy and the last one had no smell but was wearing something akin to vanilla. The only thing Sora didn't know was why he wanted to fight them and what the program was. But it was a big deal to him; it meant getting out of this chair and finding Kairi; he had to know if she was ok, even if he wanted to bite her, Sora just wanted to see if she was okay when Queen Zenobia sank into the sea.
“Good timing, Yume, Ayane, Hateko, Liliana, Sora. I know you’ve been watching our newest member, so get ready, 'cause it's your turn to fight.” Nine yelled, as Sora gently stood up, walking the next batch of prey to fight, he had to beat them to see what would happen next, but he didn't know if the virus would be kept at bay. The Doctor said that the light from Kairi’s attack was the only reason for feeling more in control, whereas darkness made him more monstrous and returned him to his pure hunger state.
—----
Sora stepped out of the darkroom into a white room, it was like any form of life was lost, almost like whatever building he was taken to was devoid of happiness and meaning beyond the people inside. Sora could tell by looking at the other people in the room, all of them teens and full of either happiness or some form of emotion that was lost to him. The first teen to look at him was a blond mermaid; her face was full of happiness, as she held a yellow trident in her arms, her arms coated in numerous treasures, bands, necklaces, rings, and luxuries. She had a purple tail and eyes as blue as the sea, as if her whole look screamed princess of the sea.
“I am Ayane, granddaughter of King Triton, daughter of Princess Andrina, and my father Sora! I look forward to testing your worth on this grandest adventure. So prepare yourself to be slapped back to whatever seaweed mess you crawled out of!” Ayane declared, summoning a pool of water around her, Sora looked at the rising water. The mermaid was interesting, but then again the others were about to join in the fun.
“Ayane, that wasn't very nice, you have to just give your name and a quick hello. Not a title drop and an insult of them being creepy. Sorry about Ayane, she’s just like most of us new to this craziness, heck this is her first time outside the sea, my name is Yume by the way! Nice to meet you, Sora the ooze, I look forward to understanding you a little more.” Yume declared, summoning a giant blue minigun with a yellow star in the middle. Quickly opening up a side bag on her hip, a doll floated out of the bag, laughing at the surrounding sights.
"It looks like things have changed since we left the beacon. I see a mermaid, an ooze, and a guy with blue and black hair. Wait, wait what the f*ck why does he have a veil like Donna, and what the f*ck? They have an Angie doll like me, seriously!” Angie exclaimed, pointing her wolves' bane magnum at the other doll, who simply laughed at the gun, Sora simply lowered the gun and responded by pulling out a fully upgraded V61 custom and gently pointing it at the ooze in front of them, as Sora raised his key blade arm and ran towards the black and blond haired schoolgirl, causing Yume to hold up her minigun, but Sora was looking beyond the schoolgirl; he wanted the ones in the back, they seemed like people whom he must face, the one in the back right smelt of darkness, and the other was full of light.
It was funny to Sora, most of these people seemed almost like they were bathed in light; however, one was pure darkness and the blue one was somewhere in between. The dark one ran towards him with a chainsaw, while the mermaid jetted from his backside. The fox-masked teen just looked onward as Sora held his arm, it glowed yellow as the waters of Ayane etched closer making Sora smile.
“Thunder!” Sora yelled as the current rushed through Ayane’s water magic, shocking the mermaid as she quickly screamed in pain. Water flooded the floor, and the girl with the chainsaw rushed at him like she was focused on ending him. It felt like the grim reaper. Sora could still feel the never-ending neck snaps and bullet after bullet as the mercenary tried to put him down, only for Kairi to hit him with a powerful beam of light that sent him near the body of his mother.
But Sora knew that he had to keep moving; his body would always keep moving; he just had to beat them or fail until his body stopped, and his brain stopped functioning. The sounds of bullets were driving his brain crazy. Yume and that veiled version of him had begun to fire a rain of bullets at him, while Liliana quickly backed off to avoid the gunfire.
“How about giving me a warning before you shoot at us with f*cking bullets? Like, like sh*t it's just like House Dimistrcu all over again,” Liliana said, running near Hateko as she watched Sora get caught in the torrent of gunfire that two people shooting him unleashed, everyone watched as bullets, blood, and slime poured off of Sora, as his body stopped, the long tentacle exited Sora’s mouth, wrapping around his slimy body feeling the blood and pain, then proceeded to return inside of Sora.
“Pain, this hurts; stop it, please! Kill, kill me!” Sora whispered as he limped near the fox-masked teen and Liliana, wanting to at least right or die against one person who didn't have a magic weapon or a stupid amount of bullets. It was already crazy fighting Kairi and her friends with their guns, but this was a whole different level of crazy. Maybe if Sora were human, he’d be more excited and able to handle this. But he wasn't human; he would survive, but it felt like the remaining bits of his sanity and humanity were dying. It wasn't like Rachael was here to support him; he was alone in this new life until he could meet Kairi again. Sora felt his body tremble as he looked down at the floor; it seemed to be getting closer as he closed his eyes. The pain was too much for him to handle; the level of firepower used on him was stronger than anything he had faced, and his body had to drop.
But Sora didn't hit the ground, as he felt multiple arms wrapping around him: Ayane, Yume, Hateko, Sora, Liliana! Everyone was holding onto his slimy body when, though he barely fought them, Hell declared that he would kill and eat them. Sora wondered why, and he started wondering why this was happening. Was it because they were more willing to accept him being part of whatever group this was? Why was he acting like this when he was a monster attacking Kairi on the ship, and what would happen next as he watched the two creepy dolls grab hold of his spikes in an attempt to pull him up? Could it have been the fact that his mind and body weren't on a rampage and were more willing to think about things, as opposed to him and his mother violently attacking everything from the virus and the feeling of hunger controlling every part of their actions?
Sora’s attention was quickly drawn to Kay's numbers six, and nine. As the goddesses gently slapped their hands together, causing the whole room to be engulfed in light,. The next thing Sora knew, he was standing upwards, and all of his injuries were healed.
“That was pretty good stuff, Ayane but next time be more mobile, you have the power to summon water and should have known to cut it off the moment that thunder spell connected with your water. Yume, Sora, Liliana, and Angie’s nice work, but make sure to remember that Sora’s healing factor only works so much, and also try to remember Liliana has to be right next to people, so don't go too gun crazy. Lastly, Hateko, next time try getting involved; it'll help the team if a leader gets involved sooner.” Six declared, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, watching the fox-masked teen waiting for a response only for nothing to come as Hateko walked away.
“Ooze Sora, follow me; I'll explain some things, while we try to figure out a plan and how to fit you into the ever-blooming project.” Nine said, waving her hand, as Sora silently followed behind the goddess, watching the room shift and change into a sprawling staircase made of stars and the vastness of space.
—---
Sora didn't know what to think as Kay and him made their way up the bizarre stairs. Sora could see the outside of the castle and was at a lack for words beyond the fact that he could only speak a handful of phrases. Outside the castle was a giant spiral that circled. Each time the pair ascended the stairs, the spiral changed, growing longer and adding more patterns and layers to the formation.
“Do you like it? Every universe in the multiverse is layered and ready to be dealt with or saved at a moment's notice. Your Universe is next to number one and our new project, Ever-Blooming. I felt like it was worth showing you what was beyond your tiny island and ship of death. Sora, I want you to be the one to impact the start of our new universe; simply kill Xehanort, and I will offer you the things you crave most. One to love you, more humanity, even your oozy mother if possible, but only if you can save Kairi and the six other princesses of your universe from Ansem, and then kill Xehanort.” Nine declared, stepping through the barriers of reality that held everything in place to look at the universe of number seven, wondering if she was doing okay in her attempt at romance and the thirteen-day time limit given.
Sora looked at the goddess and then looked down at his universe. Maybe it was doable; he just had to figure out the key blade and understand the task that was offered to him. But the only thing his mind could think about was the pretty blue-haired woman who rubbed his hair and offered him that smile. The smile that his first mom had when she died fishing, and almost the same smile that Rachael offered him before their tragic deaths. Maybe he could find the pretty lady, and offer her the same smile since Kairi didn't want him, not as a monster anyway, but maybe as a human, he’d have a chance at happiness and of course, Sora wouldn't say no to his mom returning.
Nine smiled as she looked back at Sora. Maybe this would be as exciting as her sister's adventure for romance; she just had to plan things correctly, and soon, with her ooze and the other champions, it and any evil in their path would fall. Number seven had her beloved, Six had Ayane, and one more mermaid was on the table: Five had Sora Kizuna Beneviento, One had another Beneviento, Two had Liliana, Ten had Yume, Eleven had Hateko, Three had Six, and the last member currently planned was Ooze Sora with Nine. That just left numbers four, eight, twelve, and thirteen, but sooner or later all the guardians would be found and able to fight for the glory and honor of Kingdom Hearts
-------
Sora could only watch as the ninth Kay flew away in the vastness of space, leaving him alone. It was both exciting and terrifying; each step he took felt like he was one step away from falling off the edge and into an unknown vacuum of the world. Even if he even survived the fall, it probably ended up being a nightmare. Thankfully, Sora could hear footsteps in the distance as Sora looked down to see Liliana walking near him.
“Where is she?” Sora said, asking the teen in confusion, that he hoped that Liliana knew what Kay’s plan was or why she left him on these crazy stairs after telling him part of her plans. It had been roughly two hours since the goddess left him, and Sora wasn't enjoying the feeling in his stomach—it wasn't hunger, it was heartache. Sure, his heart was dead, but Sora could still remember Rachel and hated how this feeling was the closest he had felt to being human since Zenobia.
“I think number Nine bolted, but then again, they're like a hive mind, so who knows? Anyhow, I got told it was my turn to help the new guy around. So, Sora let's have a little fun. I think Ayane left the door open to her room, and Yume was going to join us for a little party.” Liliana said, doing her best to not unload at least five f-bombs, as she felt movement in her black winter coat.
“I smell more morsels, and what is a party like?" Sora inquired, raising his key blade at Liliana’s right shoulder and watching, with a hint of hunger, as two little people sled out and onto the teen’s right arm. One kid had a paper bag on his head and gently waved at him, while the other one had a yellow raincoat. Sora couldn't believe how small they were, or the fact that they weren't hurt when Liliana rushed in to attack him earlier.
“Sora, these are my little brother and sister! The one with the bag is Mono, and the yellow silent one is Six—well, kind of like the other Six here but different. You know what? I'm not diving into that can of worms. Wait, what do you mean you don't know what a party is? Surely you must have had one before, being the poster child for diving gone wrong.” Liliana said, her eyes widening at the fact that Sora didn't know about parties. How the hell did she know more when her first party was a tea party with Ethan and Donna over which lord to shoot in the face?
Sora tilted his head in confusion, as he tried to remember any parties, only for nothing to pop up. His mom died when he was three due to a shark attack, and his father was a drunk who made him live on the beaches of the island for longer than most islanders have been homeless. The closest thing he had to parties was from Riku and Kairi, but his father was always around to keep him from experiencing the new and mysterious fun, making them feel pretty hollow.
“Nothing!” Sora declared as he felt a hand grab hold of his bottom left arm, looking down to see Liliana grabbing his arm gently. The teen flashed him a sad smile, as she helped him up to the dorms of the group.
—---
Sora looked on in amazement, the halls were clean and littered with trees, art, and even vending machines. It felt more peaceful than the Zenobia, crawling through vents, going through the flooded ship just to get shot for food. Sora let out a toothy grin as Liliana led him to a room that had a purple tail hanging from the door handle.
“Hey, I'm coming in, and I brought the new guy!” Liliana shouted as she kicked open the door, revealing Ayane, Yume, Hateko, and what looked like two pods containing sleeping mermaids. Sora couldn't help but be drawn to the fish women; they seemed just as odd as Ayane. Sora could still remember the conversations he had with Kairi, although Sora wondered if Kairi would have the same fascination with the sea creatures after she attempted to kill him. Nevertheless, it was a treat to see more of the creatures. Sora could only look at the two girls as his arms brushed against the glass. One mermaid had black hair, a purple tail, and what looked like a pajama top, while the second had an orange tail, an orange bikini top, and long, wavy black hair.
“Please be careful with my cousins; I’d be grateful if your arms stood away from them. They still need healing after Morgana ruined our kingdom, and I’d like to make sure Melody and Ebony are safe.” Ayane declared, pointing her trident at Sora, causing the ooze to back away as Sora’s arms kept close to his body in the tiny room. The room was odd, containing the pods, a giant pool of water that had a bed inside of it, two chairs, and a desk and lamp. But then again, the mermaids seemed to take up more space, so it seemed natural.
“So Sora, where'd you learn that thunder spell, it was cool how you one-shot Ayane; I didn't even learn thunder until I fought against a Nevermore during the entrance exam getting into Beacon.” Yume asked, kicking her feet in the air, showing off her sea salt ice cream pajamas. Sora looked at the girl again; she had long black hair with blond tips and a white shirt with a logo of what seemed like yoga.
“Kairi hit me; I learned!” Sora whispered, looking at Yume, as she hid deeper into her pillow. Sora pointed his key blade at the table, only to be grabbed by Hateko.
“Another poor soul ruined by the bane of bioterrorism; please tell me the place that hurt you so that I may avenge you.” Hateko declared, taking off her mask, revealing a teen with short brown hair and blue eyes.
“Zenobia!” Sora whispered as the girl looked at him with a look of dread, making Sora wonder what she could have done to deal with the army of oozes and his mom.
“I see my mother told me of that ghost ship; it looks like I'll have to deal with it when I get to re-meet my parents and deal with the foolishness of humans. Thank you, kind ooze; if you excuse me, I must bake some cinnamon rolls; it'll soon be time to make sure my father has the right start for our journey.” Hateko said, putting back on her mask, ready to walk out the door and find the kitchen of the castle.
“Who are you?” Sora said, looking at the fox-masked teen, he had to know why she cared about the world that killed him. He had hoped that she wasn't foolish enough to fight against his mom, let alone any other horrors that lurked on that accursed planet.
“My name is Hateko Chambers, but I've been called by many names, Ava, 22B, the best baker under the sun. I am the one who will save people and us my way, not by any goddesses or people claiming to be called masters because only children and friends are allowed to make the fated call of humanity.” Hateko declared, venturing forth into the vast castle, leaving Sora, Ayane, Lillana, and Yume, inside as well as little Six and Mono.
Suddenly, a flash of light entered the room, catching everyone’s attention as the light transformed into a woman with white hair, a white dress, and white shoes. The only thing of color was the woman’s eyes, which shone blue and yellow like priceless gems, just like numbers Six and Nine.
“I'm sorry to interrupt your party, but I need Sora alone! Please, I can't make a scene, so let's hurry!” One whispered, quietly walking out of the room, as Sora quickly followed, unsure of what was happening. But he followed the white-haired goddess to the bizarre stairs that would lead them back to the room where he fought against the others.
—---
“Firstly, I’d like to apologize for Nine’s attempt at welcoming you to our ranks. I should have had number Six or myself do the task, but alas, things are getting thin, and projects are eating up time and resources. If one of the more active members of our thirteen was involved, I imagine you'd have a smooth transition compared to this messy attempt at a welcoming. We are nearly done with our new universe, and that is the reason why you've seen me, six, and nine. Technically, you could meet seven, but she won't be around till her love journey is stable.
“Secondly, the reason I brought you down here is that it is tradition for the newest member to fight against members of the guardians, and you are the one I’d like to use. Do this, and I'll speed up the timeline of your universe, so that you may work faster to reclaim your mind, body, and mother. I won't ask you to win; just show me what you and the newest members can do, as I watched your last fight. It was a decent attempt, but too chaotic and not much of a fight.
“Finally, open up your bottom left hand; I have something to give you; the power of healing is the first step to recovery, and in case you hurt someone outside, carrying that sinister virus you carry!” One said, flashing the ooze with a small smile, as the power of healing magic overtook Sora, as a few doors opened to the side, with three different people walking into the empty white training room.
The first person to walk out was what Sora assumed was a small child or teen, but they had a tube on their back that was sloshing with an orange-colored liquid, the ink child had a black t-shirt that had two girls wearing green and purple, and red shorts with big goofy shoes. The small teen had a big smile on his face and had spiky brown hair with green and purple highlights. Sora assumed the new kid liked loud music because it was blasting from the headphones on the squid's face.
The second one to enter the training hall was the most revealing person that Sora had seen outside all the mermaids. The second member was a girl with silver hair that was medium-length at best, but the craziest part about the girl was the utter lack of normal clothing she was wearing. Sora knew if he wasn't dead, then he’d probably have a heart attack from seeing the white furisode, which gave the girl a sexy ninja feel. He could only ask how the hell this girl could fight given the assets given to her, and how was she supposed to fight him?
“Sora, these are the two newest members of your group, Inkling Sora, and Sorraku. Please everyone, do your best, and no killing!” One declared as the sounds of footsteps echoed as the rest of the guardians appeared from the magic staircase ready to watch Sora, and the two newest members in action. Sora looked behind him to see the others, Yume was holding Ayane, Liliana held out Six and Mono, Hateko, was wearing an apron covered in flour, even the mysterious Sora with the mourning veil, and the two Angie's had come. Plus, an extra member dressed in a yellow raincoat wearing baggy red pants.
“Go on, Sora, kick that squid, and ninja butts!” Yume yelled as Sora charged at Sorraku first, swinging his key blade at the girl’s chest, only for his key blade to be blocked by a key blade that looked like an ice castle. Sorraku flashed a smile, and she immediately backflipped away as her key blade started glowing blue, causing Sora to rush after her. He didn't know what spell she was going to cast. But he knew that magic was painful and didn't want to feel the same pain as Kairi’s thunder spell.
Suddenly the Inkling Sora appeared out of the ground, spraying Sora with a torrent of ink, blinding the ooze, as Sora screamed in pain as he slashed and swiped at anything. But the Inkling had already returned to shooting puddles of ink into the group, feeling glad that the monster wouldn't be able to find him, and the ooze didn't seem to have any way to get the ink off, so all that was left was for him, and that busty ninja to knock him out.
Sora could feel his eyes burning and had to think of something; his body couldn't wipe his eyes, and his left arm wasn't usable beyond being a weapon and grabbing things. Suddenly, Sora had a thought, knowing that it would taste awful. Quickly, he opened his mouth, and almost half of his face let the parasite inside of him be known out in the open, brushing the slimy tongue across his eyes, hoping to remove some of the ink. But Sora had to hurry as he heard the sounds of magic being cast. Sorrarku quickly sent out a flurry of ice projectiles as she ran at the ooze, ready to stun him and deliver a series of kicks to Sora’s legs to take him out.
Sora’s plan was working as he saw a white outline enter his vision, his body felt the stabbing feeling of the ice hitting, but Sora endured it, as he watched the busty ninja channel more ice magic into her key blade, so Sora decided to do the same grabbing his arm. He’d stop Sorraku in one attack, so Sora gripped his right arm, allowing electricity to flow through his arm and holding it as the pain started to grow. His body wasn't meant for casting magic, let alone being hit with spells; he was more suitable to bullets. Sora stood his ground as the ninja’s blade began leaving an ice trail behind her, creating an ice whip that she was dancing through until she was within range of Sora’s spell.
Sora smiled as he looked around, Sorraku had created enough space to where the inkling was in the range of being hit.
“Thundaga!” Sora shouted as a massive blast of electricity jolted out of his keyblade breaking Sorraku’s whip, shocking the teen, and inkling Sora in the process the squid child jumped out of his puddle screaming in pain, as he reverted into a tiny form that looked like a plushie. Sorraku was still running as she let go of her whip but didn't last long as Sora grabbed hold of the inkling’s gun and tank to the best of his abilities, spraying the teen with a spray of ink slowing her down as she hit the ground until Sora was right next to her.
“I win!” Sora declared panting, hitting the ground, with a thud the sounds of everyone echoed as Sora’s body shut down forcing him to heal and temporarily die until he could move again.
—--
One left the guardians to tend to the ooze, everything was going to plan as one teleported to her room, taking in the day, and listening to the bubbles inside of a test tube. Soon the plan would be set in motion, the multiverse would be cleaned of this darkness, Xehanort, The Master of Masters, It! All would perish by her guardian's hands until all that was left was the light, and once the light covered all things would die and begin anew.
“Soon my child, soon I'll rid you of that metal body that traps your poor heart! Just give me some time, the thirteen will be formed, and Project Ever Bloom will allow a new path to bring you back to me, my beloved Sora, the fourteen guardian.” One declared looking up at her son, well what was left of him, her face was emotionless at the sight of her angel, the one that tried to end the machine war, only to suffer and drag humanity into a new age of horrors as the virus overtook him. Maybe this was the reason why she took in the ooze that the Ninth’s Sora had once been, it was like a test to see if an unstable monster could be put to use and fix the damages that was caused.
—--
Sora was confused as he opened his eyes, everything felt warm and fuzzy, he didn't know if he was dreaming, for some reason he felt at peace like when Rachael hugged him, or the fact his new friends did not make a big deal about him being an undead monster. Sora looked around trying to understand his surroundings, quickly the ooze knew that he wasn't at the castle nor on the Zenobia. But someplace different, a place that smelt of tea and sweets, but had a lingering smell of sadness and pain.
“Hello Sora, it's time we talk! All of us were worried about you and felt like this meeting was needed!” Sora Kizuna declared as the ooze looked around spotting every one of the guardians as he lay motionlessly on the floor of a dark manor. Sora tried getting up as he felt his arm moving against the soft carpet that he was placed on only to realize something that made his jaw drop, he was looking human again!
