Organization XIV - The Story So Far

Jackie only nodded in response, before adjusting course back away from Reumos' castle and towards Traverse Town. She had intended to stay silent for a while longer, but Reumos' question compelled her to speak. 

"I learned I am rather easily tempted to my core when promised with success and my heart's desires."

Reumos was silent for a moment, his face betraying nothing. "I imagine her offer was far better than mine. I've few resources and virtually no information that can help in our search for answers. If you decided to leave us, I wouldn't resent you for it. One must be true to their own heart."

Jackie was silent and still for a moment, the cabin filled with it. The only sounds were of the whir of machinery, and the faint breath of the members within. "Sir. Sir with all due respect, my heart was leading me towards a path that involves the destruction of worlds, homes, and lives. We retained the ability to walk away from disaster once, because Dispatch forced me into action." Jackie wished they would land shortly, as her inner turmoil, once emotional, was becoming physical as her stomach roiled in the guilt. Words failed her, and she stifled a sigh before clutching the controls again, checking their course. A few minutes more and Traverse Town would be within sight.

Gestalt just looked at her in confusion. Did she do something bad? I don't get it.

Not truly knowing much about the situation, Reumos chose his words very carefully. "The heart is often weak when presented with an easy path. But that moment does not define you. Remember this feeling, if you want to grow stronger than the person you were."

Jackie did not verbally reply, instead opting for a noncommittal head nod as she began the descent into Traverse Town. Her movements themselves became curt and terse, and it was obvious she wanted out of the cabin. As they approached the ground outside the First District's gate, she opened the cockpit and jumped out. "Gonna check the areas where I used to see Heartless all the time. Be back here in twenty, more if I'm in trouble." And with that, she ran off, not looking behind her once.

Watching her go, Gestalt grimaced. "...Okay, 20 until we have to meet up here. Let's split up and gather information while we can."

"Right. I'll see what I can find out." Reumos muttered, walking briskly towards the gate leading to the second district.

The short swordsman marched dejectedly toward the shop above the stairs in the middle of the plaza. ...Hopefully we can learn something good. We're fresh out of leads. Now we know there's some evil witch out there, but not only are we not strong enough to face her, we wouldn't even know where to look for her. We don't even know what she's after! Shit...!


He glared up at the dimming sky. I need more power. Power and knowledge.

Dispatch hopped out of the cockpit, trying to shake off his irritation. He wasn't the only one upset about what just happened. Granted, he was the only one who hadn't pulled the ace out of his sleeve, but that didn't mean nobody else here had problems. Still, the idea that the witch had met another Saiyan needled him. Maybe this recon session would help take his mind off of it.

"Guess I'll take this area, then," he said quietly as the others dashed off. Well, the best place to gather info was the bar, so he followed his first instinct and headed to the place he'd sat down with the others the last time he was here.

As he walked, Gestalt's steps became uncertain. ...How do I learn and get stronger, anyway? Maybe I need an instructor...? Ugh, this isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll just gather what I can.


Pushing open the door in front of him, he stepped into a small, but well-lit shop. A fireplace roared just off to the side, the light of the flames catching on a crystal in a display case in the corner. To the other side was a wooden counter, behind which stood a middle-aged man with short hair. He was kind of jacked; the man's shirt was tight enough that it may as well have been sprayed on. Turning around, the man greeted Gestalt with a somewhat raspy voice. "Welcome- oh, it's just another kid."

Glancing at himself, the swordsman sighed. Hard to argue with that. "This place is called Traverse Town, right? I gather that it's a hub for different worlds. Can you tell me anything about that?"

Taken slightly aback at his composure and sudden questioning, the man blinked at him. "Uh, that's right. Y'know, usually people start with their names."

"Oh, right. I'm Gestalt. You?"

"They call me Cid here! This is my shop. I sell accessories, mostly to grown-ups, not snot-nosed brats." He thumbed his nose, chewing on a thin wooden stick.

"If you don't know how to answer my questions, can you direct me to someone who knows what they're talking about?"

They glared at one another. Finally, Gestalt stepped up to the counter, sighing in defeat. Taking out 200 Munny, he slapped it on the counter. "I'll take a Protect Ring."

Eyebrows raised, the man called Cid opened up a case behind him and took out a carved, silver ring, setting it on the counter and taking the money. "...Alright, you're a customer. Not a loitering brat. ...If you really wanna know, Traverse Town is actually made up of the fragments of worlds that have disappeared. The remains and survivors just kind of drift here, like a beach. One of the things that ends up here by the truckload are gummi blocks. They're what people use to make spaceships to travel between worlds. So ending up here is either a dead-end for people, or it's a new start."

Nodding, Gestalt took the ring from the counter and pocketed it. "I see. So it's not just a coincidence that refugees from other worlds show up here. But it also means that people here will have seen the darkness up close, and have vastly different experiences and knowledge. That could be helpful."

Scratching the back of his head, Cid looked at the boy. "...You're a strange kid, but you don't seem like a greenhorn. What's got you so serious? Why do you want to know so much?"

Pulling up a chair, he settled in to talk with the man for a while.

Dispatch looked around even as he walked in the door. The place was quiet, only a few patrons beyond himself. He wondered for a moment whether this was really worth the time, but he'd never find out if he didn't try. Anything's better than nothing and all.

The quietest person there probably had the most useful information, so it was only a few seconds before Dispatch saw his best bet, a man leaning with his arms crossed against the back wall, probably about his age, with brown hair dressed mostly in leather, and a scar across the bridge of his nose. Anyone with a scar like that had to have a story to tell, so Dispatch approached him.

"You're not drinking," said the Saiyan.

"No, I'm not," the leather-clad man replied.

Okay. That went nowhere. "Why not?"

"Just on the lookout for newcomers. You look like you know your way around, so you hardly need my help."

"Your help, huh? You fight the Heartless around here a lot, then?"

The man glared at Dispatch. "Why?"

"Because I need to figure out how to get rid of 'em, that's why. Why else?"

The leather-clad man chuckled. "You're not gonna get too far if that's your weapon," he said, nodding toward the sword on Dispatch's back. "Regular weapons can't truly kill the Heartless. Just drive 'em off for a while."

"Yeah? Where'd you hear that?"

The man stood up straight, uncrossing his arms to gesture toward the door. "I think before I say any more, I should find out what you're made of."

Dispatch smirked. "Alright. I like the sound of that. Lead the way, Leatherboy."

The man gave a disgusted look. "...It's Leon."

"Dispatch. Now let's get to it."

Leaning back against the wall, Cid let out a deep breath, adjusting the stick in his mouth, and grimacing as he did. "Sounds like you're in the same boat as us. Can't believe you actually got your hands on one of the Ansem Reports..."

"Who exactly is Ansem?" Gestalt asked. "We got it off of a Heartless, so it's not like the was anyone to ask about it."

"Ansem the Wise was the head honcho back on my home world. He was a famous researcher, and he had everyone's trust. Always had an answer when trouble came knockin', and never failed to listen when there were problems he could solve. He was even studying the Heartless before the world fell. Guess they were one thing he just couldn't solve in time..."

Scratching his head, the young man thought back to the report he'd read. "I see. He had a lot of detailed descriptions for different types; the man must've spent a lot of time observing them. Still, if he knows so much, maybe we should forget about his reports and just try to find the man himself."

"Impossible." Cid grumbled. "Ansem vanished when our world fell. Nobody knows where he went, and honestly, odds are he went down with the ship."

"Do you think it happened because he couldn't figure out the solution, or because he lacked the means?" He asked. "Driving out the Heartless isn't easy, and even if you know what you need to, it's much easier said than done. Maybe it can't really be done with mundane means."

A smile cracked the grizzled man's face. "Bingo. You need somethin' special to stop the Heartless. The bad news is, we haven't found it yet. Even had a couple'a goons from Disney show up lookin', and they didn't have any better luck than us."

Standing up again and setting his chair back where it was, Gestalt put his hands in his pockets. "And I bet you're all tied up running your business and defending the town, right? That's why you haven't run off looking for this thing."

"You got it, kid."

"Alright. Then I'll be sure to look for it. It's the most solid lead we've got, aside from that witch." He shrugged, trying not to think too hard about the encounter. His arm was still a little numb.

The man's eyes shot wide open. "Witch!?"

The two fighters took up their stances in the square, right near where the ship was parked. They stayed in place only a moment before Dispatch made the first move, lunging forward more to test his opponent than anything.
 
As expected, Leon dodged swiftly to the side, attempting to counter. Dispatch ducked and made to sweep out Leon's legs, but his opponent had hopped back already. The man was definitely no stranger to the battlefield, that was for sure. Although, that was really only natural if this guy had fought enough Heartless to have solid information on them.
 
As the fight continued, Dispatch started to notice the patterns to Leon's moves. Big, arcing swings intended to take advantage of his large weapon, and the occasional fireball that Dispatch would swat out of the air. Dispatch weaved in and out of the man's range, intent on baiting out an opening, but Leon seemed aware of his own weaknesses, not taking the obvious feints.
 
"Y'know, you'd be a pretty good opponent if you'd try a little harder," said Dispatch, hopping back to avoid one of the man's slashes.
 
Leon wordlessly blasted a fireball from his palm, which Dispatch knocked aside as easily as the others. Well, if he wasn't going to answer anyway, might as well focus on the fight. The pair's swords continued to clash, though from that point, the clang of their swords against one another grew louder.

Cid's shook his head in disbelief. "That had to have been Maleficent. You said green skin, a cowl shaped like horns, long red nails and a scepter? Powers of darkness that ripped up the land and stopped anything you did to her? That's the witch herself to a T."

Cocking his head, Gestalt leaned on the counter. "You know her?"

His face scrunched up in response. "She's been making a lot of trouble lately. We think she might actually be controlling the Heartless... or some of 'em, at least. No matter how you slice it, she's bad news."

"And we couldn't lay a finger on her." The swordsman muttered. "Even if she's not the one behind everything... we should at least be able to take her on if we expect to do anything about this." Perking up, he looked Cid dead in the eye. "Do you know any way to get stronger?"

Taken aback, the man answered to the best of his ability. "You got fire in your eyes. Not sure how much you could beef up, though. Battle experience is usually the way to go, training when you're not fighting, and resting whenever you can. Gettin' proper nutrition is pretty crucial, too."

"I need a faster way! I've already been sharpening up and fighting the Heartless, it's not gonna put me on a level where I can fight her!"

"Slow down, kid!" He shouted, slamming one foot down and sending Gestalt jumping back. "You should forget about challenging the witch. You'll never beat her in a million years. I know guys who've been trying to get strong enough about a decade, and they still aren't gonna be able to put her down. Give it up."

Fuming quietly, the young man dusted himself off. "...I'll look for another way. I don't care what kind of magic or deal it takes to do this, but I can't just let it all go."

Sighing, Cid crossed his arms over his chest, his face relaxing a little. "...You're not gonna forget about it, huh? Fine. Maybe Aerith can give you a better idea of why you're not the hero we need. She's got a better handle on this mystical crap than I do, that's for sure."

His frustration evaporating, Gestalt stepped back up, immediately invigorated. "That's 'Aeris', right? She'll know more?"

"'Aerith'! That's a T-H at the end. Wears a red ribbon in her hair, pink dress, long brown hair in a braid. Not that you'll need much of a description; she's an oddball. You'll be able to tell. I dunno where she is at this hour, though."

"Right, I'll go looking for her immediately-"

As he turned to go, Cid grabbed him by the shoulder. "Trust me, she'll find you, not the other way around. This whole errand of yours is-"

At that point, the noise outside was too loud to ignore, and the shop owner marched on over to the door, peering outside. "Keep it down out there!"

"What's going on?"

"Leon and some guy are dukin' it out just outside the shop. Dunno what it's all about..."

"I'll go see." Slipping outside, the young man blinked as he recognized his comrade. Dispatch? ...Maybe this is a good opportunity to observe his techniques. Moving to the alleyway, he climbed up to the shop's roof with a couple of quick jumps, trying to watch without getting in the way.

Both Dispatch and Leon glanced at the cranky old man poking his head out the shop door. Leon shook his head slightly, and the two went back to their match.
 
They didn't keep at it for too much longer, though. After a few more sword clashes, Dispatch decided he was finished. As Leon's sword sailed down through the air, Dispatch raised his leg and kicked it to the side, calmly pointing his own blade at the other swordsman's nose.
 
Leon closed his eyes, smiled, and turned away. "Not bad. Maybe we could use your help after all."
 
"Told ya so," replied Dispatch, sheathing his sword. "Course, if you thought I was gonna kill you for real, you'd probably have pulled out another stop or two, huh?"
 
"I could say the same to you," Leon replied. "But you're not here just to learn to fight, are you?"
 
"I think I've done most of my learning, thanks," said Dispatch. "So, about those Heartless."
 
Leon gave a solemn nod. "They're monsters that feed on people's hearts. And when they can find it, they'll even eat the heart of a whole world. That's how people end up here."
 
"Hold on, the heart of a world?"
 
Leon nodded again. "Yeah. The Heartless in each world are searching for a 'Keyhole,' and if they make it, the world is swallowed up by darkness. And the Keyholes can only be sealed by a special weapon – the same one that has the power to destroy the Heartless for real."
 
Dispatch crossed his arms. "You said something about that earlier. When I thought you were making fun of me."
 
"Right. That weapon is called the 'Keyblade.' But if a Heartless is killed by normal weapons, like your sword or my gunblade—"
 
Dispatch snickered. "Gunblade…" he repeated under his breath.
 
Leon glared at him. "As I was saying, if you or I were to defeat a Heartless, the darkness would just gather and reform somewhere else. But with the Keyblade, they're gone for good."
 
"Alright," said Dispatch, crossing his arms. "So, say I had this 'Keyblade.' Where would I find their nest?"
 
Leon shook his head. "You're not ready to take on their nest yet. I should know…I was there when they took over. Besides, if you did have the Keyblade, you'd have used it just now."

Dispatch blinked. It had been a long time since anyone had told him he wasn't ready. But the question was, was this guy just bad at reading people, or was searching for the Heartless nest really that suicidal?

As he sat on the rooftop, Gestalt's shoulders sagged a little. ...Not much time left until we're supposed to meet up. I'll get back early in case Jackie returns. Besides, I don't think I'm gonna find much info in the next few minutes.


Dropping off the roof and tumbling to avoid injuring himself in the fall, he put his hands back into his pockets and went back to the gate. Reumos stood there, leaning on the wall, completely taciturn. He didn't even seem to notice his agent's approach. Sitting down, the young man stared at the ground. Maybe if I had magic... isn't the dark corridor a kind of magic? Holding out his hands, he made a tiny gateway into the darkness, gazing into it.

After a moment, he let it dissolve into nothing, leaning back.

Dispatch shook his head and shrugged. Well, if the guy wasn't gonna tell him even after the fight, there was no way of making him. "Ready or not, I'm not about to just sit around and let 'em do whatever they want. Know anything else about this 'Keyblade' thing?"

Leon shook his head. "Supposedly it can lock or unlock anything, and that includes sealing the Heartless back where they came from. And when the darkness comes, the Keyblade's supposed to choose a wielder to fight it. But no one here's seen any sign of anyone like that."

"A weapon that's also a key...crazy. Alright, I'll keep my eye out."

"Don't hold your breath," Leon replied. "...But good luck."

"Thanks. Same to you," said Dispatch. With a smirk and a salute, he turned and made for the ship bay, noticing the boss and Gestalt already standing there waiting. Well, at least he wasn't the last one there.

Jackie was the last to arrive back at the ship, and was certainly the most worse for wear. Her hair was matted and she generally looked like she had been through intense exertion of some kind, though lacked the telltale signs of combat. She was also lacking the guilt that had hung on her shoulders previously, now her head held high and her eyes shone with confidence. 

"I apologize for being late, after setting the time for each of us to return," she offered, standing a bit away and leaning on her spear. "Though I think the little jog I had did me good, all factors considered. There's something about a good workout that clears the mind for me, let's me hone in on exactly the subject I need to focus on. And I feel like I did poorly in making that clear, so allow me just one moment."

She turned to Dispatch, and bowed her head once towards him. "In my mind, Maleficent's offer to the dark and to join her meant I was willing to do anything, even if it meant jeopardizing your life and safety, just to get what I wanted. I regret that in whole, and while words do little, I want toove forward and declare action."

Holding her spear in her hand, firmly, she speaks to both of them. "I pledge myself to conquering the darkness in each world we find, and entrust my spirit to both of you. I will use anything in my power to find my father, but not at the cost of others. I'm done with sulking and will hold my head high as we walk forward."

Blushing slightly before taking a moment to adjust her hair as a way to give herself time to cover it up, she asks, "So what did each of you find out? Do we have a bearing?"

Dispatch gave Jackie his best look of confusion. "Whoa, there, Lightning Lady. What got into you? You've got nothin' to apologize for. First of all, there's no need to worry about me dying. I've still got stuff I gotta do, I don't get to go and die just yet. You've got your own reasons for this whole thing. Besides, I'm used to it. Space-mercenary, remember?"

Then he shrugged his shoulders. "Anyhow, from what I hear, these Heartless aren't too easy to get rid of. Some special weapon you gotta use, called a 'Keyblade.' Use anything else and they just reappear someplace else. Course, the guy that told me that had a 'gunblade,' so I dunno, maybe he just likes sticking things on swords that don't belong there. Still, if he's right, then this key-sword can also close the door that lets the Heartless break things. And the one they come out of. So it, uh...might be a good idea to get one, if we can.

Jackie smiled and silently accepted Dispatch's form of forgiveness. Though, the rest of what he had to say was confusing, though it did inspire some form of hope. "Ah, splendid. I feel a surge of catharsis knowing there is a way to vanquish the beasts, but... Part of that does bother me a little." Jackie paused, fiddling with her spear for a moment before holstering it. "If no weapon can stand before the Heartless and truly vanquish them, then attempting to wipe out small fry does us little good. In fact, it would seem that taking care of the big threats as a priority would save us the most trouble and keep the destruction they cause to a minimum.

"And that being the case, it should be our primary priority to procure this weapon. This key... I never heard of it during my time at home, and perhaps it was for lack of asking the right people, but I never found out about it during my months here, either. It sounds nearly one-of-a-kind, though, if not altogether myth or fairy tale, or worse, some ancient riddle that the solution to lies in something we experienced along the way."

"It sounds like that'd be the solution to all our problems." Gestalt said, getting to his feet. "I don't know if we can count on finding it, but it won't hurt to look for it while we're out fighting. This old man told me that there's other people looking for it, too, so someone is bound to get their hands on it. And they'll have to come through here sooner or later. If we keep checking back in here, in between searching other worlds, maybe we'll bump into this weapon's holder."

Sliding his hands into his pockets with a faint smile, he nodded his head in the direction of the gate. "Nothing for it but to go out there. Do we know how to get to any other worlds from here?"

"Another world, more information to gather, and to top it all off, more of those creatures to fight," Jackie summarized. "Tremendous opportunity yet tremendous effort required, in order to--"

"A-ah, excuse me, I hate to interrupt..." A meek, thin voice called out from across the plaza. A hooded figure in grey strode towards them, a thin, pale arm stretched out from the billowing sleeves. As the owner of the voice approached, definite panting could be heard from within, as if the short jaunt had been a sprint to any of the other fighters gathered. "I um... I couldn't help but notice you all s-seemed to be headed off... off-world, correct?" Hands on their knees, it seemed to be a male voice from beneath the robes, trying to catch their breath, but even then, the speaker was quite timid. "I... I have a favor-- well, more like a proposition? To ask, I mean."

Jackie couldn't help but smirk at the newcomer. "Perhaps I spoke of tremendous effort at the inopportune moment. I think first we'd like a name. Mine's Jacqueline Roussieau, of the Cliffs of Mirth." She extended a hand to the figure, who reached out and shook lightly. Jackie couldn't help but wince: the man's hand felt like dead air.

"P-pleasure. I'm Kai- K-Kandor Galdwin. From the Land of Metal and Pyres."

Dispatch crossed his arms. Something about this guy rubbed him the wrong way. What was he so nervous for? None of them were aggressive. Was he just a coward?

Ugh, no, Dispatch thought to himself. He really had to stop writing people off like that. It had come back to bite him more than once in his life. But what was up with all these weird world names? How could you have a whole planet dedicated to "metal and pyres?" Or cliffs, for that matter. Either way, though, if this guy had information on places they might be able to go, that would be a huge help, so Dispatch kept his mouth shut and tried to look welcoming.

"It's nice to meet you, Kai-Kandor." Gestalt said, without missing a beat. "I'm Gestalt, and this guy's Dispatch."

He looked to the king to introduce him, but the man had vanished without a trace. "Before we agree to anything, mind if I ask what you're proposing? If it's tips on bulking up, I've got nothing."

The pale man seemed flustered for a moment, before smiling and laughing quietly. "N-no need, this frailty is... well, it's m-more or less by my own... design." Pulling his hood back, his face was sharply angled and he sported wispy, curly light brown hair. His blue eyes shone almost with an unnatural radiance behind square spectacles, and freckles dotted his nose. If he carried himself different, he might have looked villainous, but as it stood one could hardly muster more than pity for the meek-looking boy. "The world I... the world I came from, magic requires the, the, the utmost of the body, so much so that us 'm-mages' end up with some com... complication or another." His grin turned wry. "I... I can wr-write well, but, my stu-stutter is a little... aggressive, haha. Oh! Uhm, right, the propo... proposal." Pulling a device out of his pocket, he flipped open it's clam-like exterior to show off multiple buttons and a screen with details and coordinates. Something about a Coliseum. "This, this is... somewhere I need... to go. A lot of m-my friends were f-f-fighters, and when... we got seperated, he-... well, I... uh, um... My friends are supposed to go, and look for each other. The... the thing is, I don't.... possess transport. I can... I used to visit pretty far, far places, b-but that's only... if I could be t-taken. There. The place, I, uhm... So... So if I help, help you all, c-could I... h-hitch a r-ride?"

Jackie raised an eyebrow. The man's magic system intrigued her, that any mage aspiring to focus on it would have to sacrifice something of themselves. If that produced equally tremendous results for such a tremendous strain, it would almost be worth looking into for study purposes. Coming hot off the heels of deceit and manipulation from a witch, however, made her a little more hesitant than normal. "Sure, that sounds fine and reasonable, and we needed a heading ourselves. I would ask what the others think, first, before coming to terms and decisions." She turned to Dispatch and Gestalt. "You two, do you suppose we might need a mage, or the heading he provides?"

"Well..." Gestalt mumbled. "He's clearly hiding something, but it's probably just personal issues or something. If we take him, keep an eye open in case he tries something, but I don't know what he could possibly do to betray us. Steal our ship, I guess?" No, if he needs to steal a ship, it'd be easier to just take ours instead of tricking us with a made-up story. He wouldn't have had to approach us.


"...He's probably trustworthy. Why don't we go along with this? Having a destination benefits us anyway." There was no disguising the sparkle in his eyes when he saw the image of the coliseum.

Dispatch was less subtle about his own excitement. "Looks like this guy's on his way to some kind of arena. I say we go for it! Plenty of strong guys get together there, so maybe we could find, I dunno, some more help or something. And even if we don't, a tournament's a great chance for some training!" He cracked his knuckles. "And even if he tries something, we can take 'im. Hell, I'm even willing to say that'll be good training, too!"