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[OOM] Day Eighty.
As the black flying machine crumbles into blocks, Master Invi, Foreteller of Anguis, watches from atop the lighthouse.
Her gaze drifts slowly across the beach park, first to the Leopardos boy, then to the dog and duck, and finally to the mouse with the keyblade. Her mouth twists into a grimace as the pain in her chest sharpens. Just looking at the mouse hurts.
“More interlopers,” her Chirithy remarks, materialising next to her. “And I see it weighs heavy on you.”
“Explain to me how this could happen,” Invi says, tightening her grip on her chest.
“It would appear Lord Ira’s suspicions are well-founded. A traitor does exist within Daybreak Town,” Chirithy murmurs. “A traitor whose power is so immense that their desire to destroy this town is eating away at our defenses, like an infection destroying a body from within.”
Invi inclines her head slightly, listening.
“If the appearance of the Black Chirithy and other agents of the Traitor might be considered ‘Stage One’ of the Infection, and the Heartless gaining a foothold within the town itself be considered ‘Stage Two,’ then this would certainly be a ‘Stage Three,’” Chirithy continues. “The appearance of tears within the barriers that keep the town and all our client worlds separated from the chaos outside. The pulling in of those from beyond our closed system.”
“Is that harmful?” Invi asks. “These people don’t seem dangerous.”
“It is -- symptomatic,” Chirithy says. “Of a larger problem that might be exploited. As those tears in our defenses grow, become more inflamed, and become slower to close, they can be used to bring more Heartless here, or to pull in more outsiders. Less pleasant ones. And I would remind you of the physical effect that the town’s decay has upon you and the others, Lady Invi.”
Invi gives a quick nod. She can hardly deny that last, when her chest feels it might catch fire any second. “I see. I will report that much to Ira.”
“One more thing,” Chirithy says, his gaze flicking over to her. “These people of Disney Town. Be wary of them. If they are here, now, it is because the Traitor wills that they be so. Their presence serves the Traitor’s purposes in some fashion.”
“And who would be able to do all of this? Erode the town’s defenses, summon people from beyond our client worlds to this one?”
“Only one of the Foretellers,” Chirithy says. “Another suspicion of Lord Ira’s proven, one supposes.”
---
“You should sit down,” Mickey says, gesturing to one of the beachside park’s benches. “You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine standin’,” Eden replies, still clutching a hand to his eye.
Mickey hesitates, as if he wants to push the issue, but seems to decide not to. “Donald, Goofy,” he says, instead. “The two of you were heading to Traverse Town, weren’t you?”
Donald squawks something unintelligible, waving his hands demonstratively.
“I see,” Mickey says. “What is this place, then?”
“Daybreak Town,” Eden says.
Mickey’s expression turns alarmed, for a moment. “That’s impossible. Daybreak Town was -- …” He cuts himself off, peering around himself, looking towards the clocktower in the centre of time, then skimming his gaze over the Union buildings scattered around the edge of town.
“Donald, Goofy,” he says, levelly, a few moments later. “Have you almost completed repairs to the ship?”
“We only managed to make a car when we tried before,” Goofy says, sheepishly. “But we’ve got more blocks now! I bet it’ll work out this time!”
“We should collect the black blocks and try again, then,” Mickey says, and Eden catches a hint of urgency in his voice. “You’ve got to get to Traverse Town after all, right?”
As Goofy and Donald start to meander off towards the town square, Eden follows, drawing up alongside Mickey.
“Daybreak Town was what?”
Mickey gives him a quick glance. Then, quietly: “It’s nothing, really. Just a misunderstanding,” he says. Then, cheerfully: “But thank you for looking after my friends. If you’ll bear with us a little longer, we’ll be gone soon.”
“Seems like you can’t get out of here quickly enough.”
“We have an important task ahead of us in Traverse Town,” Mickey says. “And a difficult one. We just can’t -- afford any delays.”
“You know, I know you’re not telling me something,” Eden says. “If you want to keep your cards close to your chest, may as well just say that.”
Mickey glances at him, just for a moment, then speeds up his pace. “Come on. We don’t want Donald and Goofy to get too far ahead.”
---
With four of them working at it, the blocks get put together a lot faster this time, and as they finish Eden brushes off his hand, stepping back to look at -- …
… Something that doesn’t look much like what crashed into town.
The other three squint at it as well, tilting their head.
“Well,” Goofy says, cheerfully, “it’s at least a ship this time!”
“It’s a boat,” Mickey says, and Donald squawks in angry agreement. “This is better, but it’s not going to actually fly.”
“Let me guess, we need more blocks?” Eden asks, rubbing at his eye.
“I do not detect any more of this material in Wonderland, Agrabah, or the Dwarf Woodlands,” Chirithy says, materialising atop his head. “There are a few signatures in the waterways beneath Daybreak Town, but the majority of the remaining blocks appear to be in a world you’ve yet to visit.”
“Awkward,” Eden mutters. “Which one?”
“The Castle of Dreams,” Chirithy says. “I’ve -- taken the liberty of asking the rest of Dormitory Thirteen to search for the blocks in Daybreak Town. You’re free to retrieve those in the Castle of Dreams.”
Eden’s about to give a wry response when he notices Mickey watching them, frowning.
“What is it?” He asks.
Mickey hesitates, before seeming to relent, shaking his head. “I’d heard that the Castle of Dreams was already swallowed by the darkness, some years ago now.”
Eden throws a quick grin his way. “That so, huh? I guess we’ll find out, won’t we. Hey, Chirithy, open a corridor for us.”
“As you like.”
---
The corridor opens onto the courtyard of a shimmering white palace, almost as large and towering as Daybreak Town itself, the tops of its spires nearly scraping the clouds.
Eden steps out of it, scraping his foot across the stones, getting a feel for them, as Mickey meanders out of the corridor behind him, followed by Donald and Goofy nearly tripping over their feet as they tumble out.
“Amazing,” Mickey murmurs, looking around. “I only visited a few times, but it’s exactly as I remember it.”
“You see, Your Majesty?” Goofy says. “This world hasn’t been swallowed up after all!”
“Yes, but … I know it was. Master Yen Sid even confirmed it,” Mickey says. “This shouldn’t be here.”
“Well, gawrsh, I don’t know what to say to that,” Goofy says. “But we’re here right now, aren’t we?”
“Right,” Mickey says, glancing around. “... I suppose we must be.”
Donald makes an irritated noise in the back of his throat, then launches into a series of unintelligible squawks, waving his arms (wings? Eden wasn’t sure) about.
“Of course,” Mickey says, ducking his head. “We need to find those blocks.”
Her gaze drifts slowly across the beach park, first to the Leopardos boy, then to the dog and duck, and finally to the mouse with the keyblade. Her mouth twists into a grimace as the pain in her chest sharpens. Just looking at the mouse hurts.
“More interlopers,” her Chirithy remarks, materialising next to her. “And I see it weighs heavy on you.”
“Explain to me how this could happen,” Invi says, tightening her grip on her chest.
“It would appear Lord Ira’s suspicions are well-founded. A traitor does exist within Daybreak Town,” Chirithy murmurs. “A traitor whose power is so immense that their desire to destroy this town is eating away at our defenses, like an infection destroying a body from within.”
Invi inclines her head slightly, listening.
“If the appearance of the Black Chirithy and other agents of the Traitor might be considered ‘Stage One’ of the Infection, and the Heartless gaining a foothold within the town itself be considered ‘Stage Two,’ then this would certainly be a ‘Stage Three,’” Chirithy continues. “The appearance of tears within the barriers that keep the town and all our client worlds separated from the chaos outside. The pulling in of those from beyond our closed system.”
“Is that harmful?” Invi asks. “These people don’t seem dangerous.”
“It is -- symptomatic,” Chirithy says. “Of a larger problem that might be exploited. As those tears in our defenses grow, become more inflamed, and become slower to close, they can be used to bring more Heartless here, or to pull in more outsiders. Less pleasant ones. And I would remind you of the physical effect that the town’s decay has upon you and the others, Lady Invi.”
Invi gives a quick nod. She can hardly deny that last, when her chest feels it might catch fire any second. “I see. I will report that much to Ira.”
“One more thing,” Chirithy says, his gaze flicking over to her. “These people of Disney Town. Be wary of them. If they are here, now, it is because the Traitor wills that they be so. Their presence serves the Traitor’s purposes in some fashion.”
“And who would be able to do all of this? Erode the town’s defenses, summon people from beyond our client worlds to this one?”
“Only one of the Foretellers,” Chirithy says. “Another suspicion of Lord Ira’s proven, one supposes.”
“You should sit down,” Mickey says, gesturing to one of the beachside park’s benches. “You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine standin’,” Eden replies, still clutching a hand to his eye.
Mickey hesitates, as if he wants to push the issue, but seems to decide not to. “Donald, Goofy,” he says, instead. “The two of you were heading to Traverse Town, weren’t you?”
Donald squawks something unintelligible, waving his hands demonstratively.
“I see,” Mickey says. “What is this place, then?”
“Daybreak Town,” Eden says.
Mickey’s expression turns alarmed, for a moment. “That’s impossible. Daybreak Town was -- …” He cuts himself off, peering around himself, looking towards the clocktower in the centre of time, then skimming his gaze over the Union buildings scattered around the edge of town.
“Donald, Goofy,” he says, levelly, a few moments later. “Have you almost completed repairs to the ship?”
“We only managed to make a car when we tried before,” Goofy says, sheepishly. “But we’ve got more blocks now! I bet it’ll work out this time!”
“We should collect the black blocks and try again, then,” Mickey says, and Eden catches a hint of urgency in his voice. “You’ve got to get to Traverse Town after all, right?”
As Goofy and Donald start to meander off towards the town square, Eden follows, drawing up alongside Mickey.
“Daybreak Town was what?”
Mickey gives him a quick glance. Then, quietly: “It’s nothing, really. Just a misunderstanding,” he says. Then, cheerfully: “But thank you for looking after my friends. If you’ll bear with us a little longer, we’ll be gone soon.”
“Seems like you can’t get out of here quickly enough.”
“We have an important task ahead of us in Traverse Town,” Mickey says. “And a difficult one. We just can’t -- afford any delays.”
“You know, I know you’re not telling me something,” Eden says. “If you want to keep your cards close to your chest, may as well just say that.”
Mickey glances at him, just for a moment, then speeds up his pace. “Come on. We don’t want Donald and Goofy to get too far ahead.”
With four of them working at it, the blocks get put together a lot faster this time, and as they finish Eden brushes off his hand, stepping back to look at -- …
… Something that doesn’t look much like what crashed into town.
The other three squint at it as well, tilting their head.
“Well,” Goofy says, cheerfully, “it’s at least a ship this time!”
“It’s a boat,” Mickey says, and Donald squawks in angry agreement. “This is better, but it’s not going to actually fly.”
“Let me guess, we need more blocks?” Eden asks, rubbing at his eye.
“I do not detect any more of this material in Wonderland, Agrabah, or the Dwarf Woodlands,” Chirithy says, materialising atop his head. “There are a few signatures in the waterways beneath Daybreak Town, but the majority of the remaining blocks appear to be in a world you’ve yet to visit.”
“Awkward,” Eden mutters. “Which one?”
“The Castle of Dreams,” Chirithy says. “I’ve -- taken the liberty of asking the rest of Dormitory Thirteen to search for the blocks in Daybreak Town. You’re free to retrieve those in the Castle of Dreams.”
Eden’s about to give a wry response when he notices Mickey watching them, frowning.
“What is it?” He asks.
Mickey hesitates, before seeming to relent, shaking his head. “I’d heard that the Castle of Dreams was already swallowed by the darkness, some years ago now.”
Eden throws a quick grin his way. “That so, huh? I guess we’ll find out, won’t we. Hey, Chirithy, open a corridor for us.”
“As you like.”
The corridor opens onto the courtyard of a shimmering white palace, almost as large and towering as Daybreak Town itself, the tops of its spires nearly scraping the clouds.
Eden steps out of it, scraping his foot across the stones, getting a feel for them, as Mickey meanders out of the corridor behind him, followed by Donald and Goofy nearly tripping over their feet as they tumble out.
“Amazing,” Mickey murmurs, looking around. “I only visited a few times, but it’s exactly as I remember it.”
“You see, Your Majesty?” Goofy says. “This world hasn’t been swallowed up after all!”
“Yes, but … I know it was. Master Yen Sid even confirmed it,” Mickey says. “This shouldn’t be here.”
“Well, gawrsh, I don’t know what to say to that,” Goofy says. “But we’re here right now, aren’t we?”
“Right,” Mickey says, glancing around. “... I suppose we must be.”
Donald makes an irritated noise in the back of his throat, then launches into a series of unintelligible squawks, waving his arms (wings? Eden wasn’t sure) about.
“Of course,” Mickey says, ducking his head. “We need to find those blocks.”