Link to Life Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – The Long Battle</i>

Rika battled her way through wave after wave of Heartless. It never seemed to end; and she was growing fatigued, a sweat building from her brows and her breath labored as she held up Stardom Key to block a charging Large Body. “Back off!” she shouted. Swinging back like a baseball player, Rika swung her Keyblade and knocked the fat Heartless spinning away and crashing into a group of ten Soldiers lined up in a triangular formation. “Strike!” Rika grinned, wiping away the sweat. “How are you guys holding up?”

“Oh, I’m all right. How are you?” Daffy replied nonchalantly, as he ran in terror from a little Shadow that had stolen his twin nunchucks. Porky sighed, rolling his eyes, and simply punted the Shadow away, catching the nunchucks it dropped. He held them out to Daffy with a dull stare. “Thanks, butterball, but I could have handled the little runt himself.”

“S-s-sure, you can,” Porky deadpanned.

Rika turned to look at the cathedral towering over the other buildings, and frowned. “Exactly how much farther do we have to run?”

“Well, according to this conveniently-placed directory,” Daffy said as he examined said helpful map, “we’re here,” he pointed at the little red dot, “and the castle is waaaaaaay…” he dragged a feathered finger across the map for an estimated seven miles from the dot, finally stopping on the large block that represent Hollow Bastion, “…over here.”

“Should’ve known,” Rika groaned, backhanding an Air Soldier that was attempting to sneak up behind her – but was smacked the upside of her head by a rock thrown by a Shadow. “Ow! I can’t help but feel that rock was meant to make sure I wasn’t being overpowered…” she muttered glumly as she rubbed the back of her head.

“W-w-with the me-me-medium awareness aside,” Porky said, “we-we-we’re not go-go-gonna make i-i-i-i, get anywhere close to the castle at this rate.”

“Well, how else do you think we’re gonna get there faster, in an unlocked abandoned car that someone just happened to leave around here?” Daffy said as he rested his arm on the hood of an unlocked abandoned white Volkswagen Beetle. “Don’t answer that,” he grumbled when he saw Porky and Rika’s smirks.

“Wow, and it’s still in pretty good shape,” Rika muttered, as she examined the car while Porky got behind the wheel – and was shoved aside by Daffy who wanted it. She brushed her hand over the red, white and blue racing stripes that from the back to front bumpers, finally stopping on the number fifty-three on its front hood.

The little bug suddenly sounded off a loud honk, startling Rika so much that she tripped over a stack of empty paint cans. “Okay,” she said, her voice echoing from inside a can over her head as she lifted it off. “Who’s the wise guy?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Daffy said innocently as little golden halo poofed over his head.

“Really?” Rika asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

“T-t-truthfully, Rika, he r-r-r-really didn’t,” Porky said, rather surprised himself. Daffy smiled widely to his partner, who shook his head in disbelief.

“Really…” Rika repeated. Was it maybe the horn was broken? she pondered, staring at the Beetle. She quickly shut her eyes tight, and opened them again. Did that car just wink at me? “Great, first that shop, now this. Maybe I should commit myself once this is over,” Rika grumbled.

---</i>

Cid frantically smashed his fingers around the keyboard connected to various computer screens, each displaying an area of Radiant Garden’s city, all live. Regulating every team, everyone’s group and attack formations was a difficult task for one man to do. Cid had filed a complaint to Leon about this, but he brushed him off, saying that no one else knew how to work the computers better than him. When Cid argued why not get someone from the science division to do it, Leon had already vanished.

Cid groaned; he needed something to calm his nerves. He chewed on his toothpick. “Yeah, this ain’t gonna cut it,” Cid declared, tossing the toothpick aside. He looked around to make sure that no one was around, and, once he was sure, he pulled out a bent up cigarette from his pocket that he was saving since the old days, before Radiant Garden became “Disney-friendly.” Ignoring the large “No Smoking” sign behind him, Cid lit the joint and puffed deeply.

“That’s the stuff.” Cid grinned, returning to work. He turned to one screen, displaying Yuffie leading her team in the market area.

A flock of Bookmasters was unleashing Fire spell after spell, setting various shops ablaze. “Yang and Ben, put out those fires!” she shouted, waving a large shuriken that couldn’t possibly be of any practical use in actual combat in her hand.

“On it,” Ben, or rather, Big Chill said. Beating his large blue wings, Ben had become a giant moth-like alien being. Flying above one burning building, Ben/Big Chill breathed in deeply and he exhaled a subzero breath that cooled the building to the point of freezing.

“Uh, great. How the heck am I supposed to compete with THAT?” Yang griped.

“Well, think of something, doofus,” his sister, Yin, said, as she fired blasts of magic energy from her fists at Darkball Heartless.

“I’m not a doofus, you…you, um. She-doofus!” Yang finished lamely. Yang’s eyes darted around, searching for anything wet. They fell on an outdoor Squishee machine. “That will have to do.” Yang took hold of the machine’s nozzles, and pulled. With a little effort and a grunt, the nozzles reeled out into his hands and he grinned. “Do you feel lucky, punk?” Yang said in a mock gravelly voice, unleashing twin streams of cold drink over buildings, killing the flames. “Oh, yeah! Who’s bad?”

“Very nice,” Kim Possible said monotonously, as she held up her fists in a fighting pose as she faced several Armored Knights, Neoshadows, Crimson Jazz, and a Surveillance Robot. Judging by the way the Neoshadows and Armored Knights were bucking the heads, Kim assumed they were laughing at how she was fighting them empty-handed and how she was greatly outnumbered. Kim smirked. She liked those odds. One Armored Knight leapt high and jabbed its blade at Kim, but she hopped backward, landing on her hands and flipping atop a Crimson Jazz. After punching it twice, Kim had aggravated the slow but powerful Heartless. Kim leaped away again, running as the Crimson Jazz chased after her. It unleashed a ring of Fire magic mines around Kim, about to send her flying sky high. Unfortunately for a group of Armored Knights, Kim had lead the mines right toward them, escaping just as the mine detonated and left them dissipating messes of darkness. One Neoshadow swung its fist for Kim, but its arm was caught by her. Completely caught off guard, the Neoshadow was then flung over Kim’s shoulder and right into the Crimson Jazz’s head, snapping it clean off and both destroyed.

Kim smirked to the lone, and trembling, Surveillance Robot. Kim held up her hand and made the “come on” gesture. The Heartless promptly flew away in terror. “Too easy,” she said.

“What a flippin’ Mary Sue,” Manny commented, rolling his eyes, as he avoided getting crushed by a Large Body that hopped over him.

“Hey, that’s my girlfriend you’re talking about, there!” Ron Stoppable snapped, running away from a Morning Star Heartless spinning like a top after him. “Oh, by the way, HELP!” Tripping over his two left feet once again, Ron fell into a roll and crashed in a stack of paint cans. “Okay, who keeps stacking these paint cans everywhere?!” he complained as he lifted one from his face. Seeing the Morning Star coming toward him, Ron immediately pulled the can over his eyes again.

Cling!

Confused as to what the sound was, Ron raised the can again, and gaped. Standing between him and the Morning Star’s fist was the man at the Kwik-E-Mart, holding up his sword underhand to block the attack. “Whoa,” Ron whispered.

Jack pushed back the fist, knocking the Morning Star backward, flipped his sword upward and gripped it with both hands. The Morning Star, annoyed, threw its best punches at the warrior; however, Jack easily blocked each one and even managed to clip the Heartless after each consecutive parry. Finally losing its cool, the Heartless hopped high into the air. Jack narrowed his eyes as its massive body blocked out the sun’s light above him, and came crashing down with incredible force – just what he needed. With a mighty cry, Jack thrust his sword up, piercing the Heartless powerful hide. Groaning on the weight, Jack struggled to hold up the Morning Star as it faded away into nothingness. Sighing in relief, Jack sheathed his amazing sword.

“Who ARE you?” Ron asked quietly.

Jack turned to Ron and answered simply, “Samurai Jack.”

“Wow. That is so cool that a show about you would be canceled without a proper ending,” Ron stated.

---</i>

“How much farther away is the castle?” Rika asked, stuck in a rather uncomfortable position in the back of the Volkswagen bug.

“You ask that one more time and I swear I’ll turn this car around!” Daffy snapped, turning his head, not noticing that he was then driving on the sidewalk.

“Sorry…” she muttered, but something caught her eye. Turning to the side window, Rika pointed. “What the heck is that?”

“Oh, t-t-that’s just so-so-some guy ch-ch-changing in a phone booth into an S-S-Superman costume,” Porky answered with a shrug.

“No, I mean THAT.” Rika pointed at eight glowing lights that sent clouds parting from them as they descended from the sky.

“That? That’s some weird stuff,” Daffy said, eyes widening like a magnifying glass.

“I have a bad feeling about those,” Rika whispered.

“Y-y-you feel ba-ba-bad feelings about e-e-everything,” Porky argued.

“Way to kill the mood,” Rika deadpanned. “Whatever. Daffy, head for those lights. I’m sure the others and Leon’s all right.”

“Ironic comment,” Daffy muttered, turning the bug’s steering wheel toward the lights.

---</i>

The lovely and sweet Aerith Gainsborough dashed through the cathedral’s mess hall, where a large fat man with, unusually enough, yellow skin was munching on a platter of donuts. “Homer!” she shouted, slamming her palms on his table.

The man, Homer Simpson, promptly dropped his donut with pink frosting and sprinkles and stood up. “Oh, Ms. Aerith, how are you today? Anything I can do for you?”

“Have you seen Leon around anywhere?” she asked, looking a bit frantic.

Homer stared blankly. Leon. Leon. Which one was he again, the one blonde emo one with a big sword obviously compensating for something? Whoa. I can’t believe I actually knew that joke. “Erm, no. I don’t think I’ve seen Leon anywhere. He’s the blonde in black, right?”

Being the kind person she was, Aerith disregarded his usual…well, disregard. “No, Homer. He’s the one with brown hair, and the scar across his face?”

“Ooh. The other emo guy with a big sword obviously compensating for something,” Homer said, nodding.

Aerith tilted her head, slightly confused. “Cloud’s compensating for something?”

“I saw him run toward the Loudspeaker System room.”

“Thank you, Homer,” Aerith said briskly, quickly running off again.

“Huh, I wonder what’s got everyone running around,” Homer said to himself.

“You’ve got to be the most moronic person here, aren’t you?” an irate chef named Gordon Ramsay hissed, brushing back his blonde hair.

“Ooh, Ramsay! I’d like another plate of donuts, please,” he responded, completely ignoring the question.

Ramsay groaned miserably as he pinched his nose. He really didn’t need anymore wrinkle in his forehead from his anger. So, he had to calm down and – “KRONK! CHOWDER! SHNITZEL! HERE, NOW!” Ramsay roared. Never mind.

“Aw, Chef. You ruined my soufflé,” a large, muscular man, Kronk, sniffed as he stepped out of the mess room’s kitchen with the deflated baked good.

“Yeah, and your yelling is making the sing peas feel bad,” a little cat…bear…rabbit…thing, Chowder, added, following Kronk.

“There are no such thing as sing peas, you little – thing,” Ramsay said, attempting to keep his temper under control.

“Radda, radda,” a tall man that seemed to be made completely out of rock, Shnitzel, said as he picked up Chowder, wagging a finger at him.

“Listen to the rock man, kid,” Ramsay said.

“Um…can I have my donuts?” Homer mumbled, wondering why a group of oddballs was suddenly being called over in a strangely convenient way to be introduced.

---</i>

Aerith ran through the maze-like corridors of Hollow Bastion, heading for the Loudspeaker System room. Without a second to spare, she threw the door open. “Leon!” she shouted, but quickly quieted. Inside, the very old – though very wise – Merlin was with two others. One was Barret Wallace, a tall and extremely tough-looking black man, with what was quite possibly the coolest thing one could to replace their arm: a gun. The other was the beautiful Quistis Trepe, a woman with long blonde hair and a pair of glasses; by her side was a whip, completely made of chains. And on the floor was something hidden under a white sheet, the three staring at it worriedly.

“What’s going on?” Aerith finally asked.

“Aerith,” Barret said, voice usually soft for him. “Something has happened to Leon.”

“Quite serious, I’m afraid,” Merlin said, awkwardly tugging on his long white beard.

Quistis remained quiet, sadly pondering. Aerith gulped, almost afraid to ask as she glanced at the thing hidden under the white sheet. “Can I…?”

“If you wish,” Merlin nodded.

Aerith sat down on her knees, her hands trembling as she reached for one end of the sheet. Once she peeked underneath, Aerith promptly gasped and immediately regretted looking. “Is there anything we can do?” she asked, attempting to shake off her horror with resolve.

“Yes, we must find a way to reverse this,” Merlin said solemnly. “Come, I will be needing assistance if I’m to discover a cure.”

“Right.” Barret nodded. “Come on,” he said, gently easing the jaded Quistis out of the room with Merlin.

Aerith felt nothing but sympathy for her. She understood: Quistis once had Leon as her student. “I’ll be right with you,” she said. “Go on ahead.” Merlin nodded understandingly, as he closed the door behind him.

Aerith sniffed as a few tears dripped from her eyes. Leon had always been there for them; it was always him that everyone looked to for support and leadership in difficult times like these. Now that he wasn’t here, Aerith didn’t know what will happen now. She angrily pounded the floor. Why did this have to happen? Aerith so deep in her grieving that she didn’t notice a figure had casted a shadow over her from the window. Once she did, she glanced up and gasped.

A dark figure stood with her in the room, a long black cloak floated behind him. Aerith was speechless, she wasn’t sure to be afraid or not. His face was hidden behind a mask that shot intimidation and fear into its foes but still retained a sort of look that gave those it thought friends courage. “I’m here to help,” he assured her in a deep and commanding voice.

Aerith only nodded.

The figure kneeled over Leon’s body, and lifted the white sheet to see his face. He narrowed his eyes, like he knew what had happened to him. Reaching into a pocket in a belt around his waist, the figure held out a syringe to Aerith, already with an injection inside. “That will cure him,” he said, raising to his feet.

Aerith stared at the antidote in her hands. Could it really be that easy? Or was she being fooled?

“You can trust me,” he said with a usual amount of tenderness coming from such an intimidating figure.

She didn’t know why, but Aerith believed him. “Thank you.”

The figure turned away and stepped up on the window still, reaching into his belt once again and pulling out a gadget this time. He turned his head back to her. “I know who did this. And I will stop him from doing any more harm.”

“Who are you?” Aerith asked, breathlessly.

The figure looked away, almost wondering the same thing himself. He answered. “I’m Batman.” The gadget fired a grappling hook; the Dark Knight readied himself and disappeared out the window.

Aerith was so shocked by the encounter that she almost forgot about Leon. She gulped again. Seeing Leon like this wasn’t going to be any easier. She lifted the sheet and grimaced. Definitely wasn’t any easier. Leon’s face was white as the sheet covering him, his throat strained and veins showing, his eyes wide like saucers and a sickening yellow, but the worst was his expression: His mouth contorted into a terribly haunting smile, baring his teeth in a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so horrifying.

Taking several deep breaths, Aerith closed her eyes and injected the antidote into Leon’s neck. Opening her eyes again, she saw Leon looking just as he was. Aerith felt like crying again. It didn’t work. Suddenly, Leon took an intake of air. Aerith watched as he kept breathing deeply, his smile dropping and eyes closing. Color returned to his face as sweat dripped from his forehead.

Aerith smiled. He was going to be all right. Her thoughts drifted back to her pervious thoughts before the Batman arrived. She frowned. That wasn’t right. They didn’t solely rely only on Leon. Cid, Yuffie, Merlin, Barret, Quistis and even herself were looked up to and were needed to help guide the younger SeeD members. She couldn’t break down like that even if her friend and commander went missing in action.

She wiped away any leftover tears and strengthened her resolve. They still had a long battle ahead of them.