Kingdom Hearts: Gate to Paradise

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Halibel gave a brief nod back to Virie before leading her along through the forest.

"Shit.. Am I walking in circles?" Kai asked himself as he found himself in the middle of yet another group of trees that looked exactly the same as the rest. With a heavy sigh he fell back to sit against a bolder, his legs were tired and he'd lost all track of time while trying to find his way to the treehouse he'd seen little over a few hours ago. As it stood now, however, he could see nothing beyond the canopy that seemed to replace the skies tranquil blue with a hazy sort of green glow. The Jungle was something of a different ballgame than the woods on the islands, no matter which heading you thought you'd had everything seemed to turn you around as you avoided running into tree's and shrubbery.

He gazed up into the canopy while drawing in a deep breath of the humid jungle air, then shut his eyes to give them a rest. His mind flooded with the concern for the girls. What if they were hurt in their fall? What if those people in white had showed up?.. what if something worse did?

This was enough to bring Kai to his feet again but he paused at the sound of a low thud nearby. His senses heightened and his eyes narrowed to quickly look around him in all directions.

"..That..didn't sound good." He said. There was another thumping and another and another and as he listened it sounded like something heavy was walking on all fours. This intrigued.. and frightened him though he couldn't quite place the reason why. He got his answer as he looked off to his left through the thick of the trees and saw some large and black staring back at him. Eyes were a luminous yellow and it's wild fur spiked and arched out from it's hulking body as if it were alive. Kai frowned and conjured his staff to prepare himself for a fight, standing his ground and staring the beast down. Then another thump came as the beast moved, shaking the ground under Kai's feet.

"Another Heartless.." He grimaced and started his approach. In the back of his mind he could hear a voice, but it's tone was never clear, like in that world he and Virie had gone to to get her keyblade and his staff. It was as if he just 'knew' the words the voice was speaking without actually hearing anything. "Why not run?"
 
(Apparently there's a posting limit. Didn't know that lol.)

"I can't." Kai said as he picked up the pace.

"Sure you can, just turn around."

"If I run from this thing right now.. I'll be putting Virie in Danger. She could run into it next."

"Always the guardian.. But where is your shield Sir Knight?"

Kai tore off into a full out sprint, weaving through the tree's as the beast just seemed to blow them over in it's approach, getting bigger with each galloping stride. When they met, the beast swung with none of the sluggishness of a large bodied creature, and with a single crushing blow Kai was sent soaring off to the side to smash into a tree like a bug. His call of pain echoing out into the jungle before he fell to the ground in a heap.

"You are out of your league, I think.."
Kai narrowed his eyes and picked himself up to his knees. "Shut up already!" He growled out as the beasts fists came down at him a second time. This time he kicked to the side, making the blow hit nothing but hearth and the roots of the tree nearly knocking it over but the beast didn't slow, swiping and swinging it's hammer- like fists around in an attempt to chase catch Kai as the boy scrambled and dove about before slipping out of sight.

The beast growled, and let out a roar to the heavens searching for any trace of Kai, but Kai hid himself well enough behind the tree to keep on the opposite side as the beast peered around it. "...A gorilla?"


"We have to find them!" Came the voice of a brave hunter through the air. "The Gorillas! that's what we're here for isn't it?"

"Of course Mr. Clayton, but he doesn't TRUST us.. We have to let him understand that we mean them no harm." Came the objection of one Jane Portar, trying to enjoy her tea with her father.

Halibel heard them, and the nearer to the campsite they got, the sweeter the meal smelled, the nicer the air felt, and the less afraid of following ghosts she became. "We're gett'n close!"
 
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(I knew there was but I thought it was massive and thus not a big deal unless you were dealing with a massive information intensive intro post.)

Virie hurried along after Halibel, praying that Kai hadn't found trouble and that trouble hadn't found him. Sure, he was more capable than she was but that didn't stop her from worrying. He could have easily been hurt from that kind of fall. They'd been lucky enough to fall on nets but what about him? About the best he had to hope for was having some branches slow his fall before he hit the ground. Even hitting water could have killed him, something she hurriedly put out of her mind. As they got closer, she became able to faintly smell the food too. Sadly, it wasn't like anything either of them knew how to cook but then again, he probably wasn't in any condition to be cooking right now to begin with. Quietly, she smacked herself in the head, trying to put that kind of thinking to rest. Halibel was looking less and less concerned which was probably better for her but she couldn't help but feel that she was just thinking with her stomach. Her key seemed to drop ten degrees and she glared at it as if to tell it that she didn't need it pointing out her shortcomings right now.

"What kind of people would be in a place like this anyway?" she asked in an effort to change the subject in her mind. This was a forest, not exactly a place where people usually were and it looked way too out of the way to be a camping spot. There was the treehouse too but the inside looked like it hadn't been lived in in a long time, like the residents had moved out... or were killed before they could return. She didn't know and wasn't sure she cared to find out. It was an extremely painful thought, the kind that she was trying to avoid right now.
 
"Hali not sure... Travelers like us maybe?" Halibel suggested as they drew nearer. She could sense Virie's unsteadiness, the clear worry for her sleepy eyed friend. Soon the ground seemed a lot flatter, as if having been worn down by someone trekking through the same path for a long time, but not long enough for it to be entirely clear of vegetation. It was at this time Hali reached back to take Virie's hand. Ears perking up with the reassuring smile she gave. One that said. "Don't worry, He'll be ok. We'll find him."

Though while they'd been walking, Halibel missed the suspecting silence of the camp. The shushing from the Hunter known as Clayton as he took up his rifle and prepared himself to protected the Porters. So it was as they emerged through the trees and into the campsite that she was immediately staring down the barrel of the rifle into Curious and cold eyes.

"What... are you?" Clayton glared, cocking his rifle and then noticing Virie. "Release the girl demon!"

"H-Hali no demon!" She objected with a scared frown.
 
Virie stared at the hunter in front of them with the gun. He was big, more than a couple heads taller than her and probably weighed three times as much. The large gun that was pointed at them didn't make her feel too much safer till he opened his mouth, calling Halibel a demon. She breathed a sigh of relief, putting the pieces together to at least what she thought was right. It seemed like this was all just a big misunderstanding. After a second look, she noticed that there were a couple people behind the hunter, neither of which looked very dangerous, more like he was escorting them. So came the obvious conclusion that he was just being hostile out of protectiveness for those two. Nothing to be worried about.

"Hali is just my guide. She's nothing to be afraid of," she told the hunter, not sure if he'd believe her given that he probably had never seen cat people before. She'd been a bit shocked too... albeit for other reasons too. As if to try to make a point, Virie walked out from behind Halibel and in front of the hunter as though to show that she wasn't being held captive or anything.
 
When Virie stepped out, Clayton took notice but his eyes remained trained on Hali's terrified face until the girl stood in front of him to prove the point that she wasn't in a hostage situation. He almost wasn't convinced however. A man who can talk to Apes was one thing.. but a girl who was part feline?

Then a hand on his shoulder drew his attention, and he looked into the face of Jane who fixed him with a look of disapproval that forced a pained groan from him that showed his annoyance almost as clear as the look on his face.

The woman pulled some f her long brown hair from her face to tuck behind her ear, then tentatively stepped forward ot greet them, keeping an eye on halibel, but not the sort of look of fear and uncertainty that Clayton had given, this was more of a look of intrigue. She offered a hand to Virie with a smile. "Jane Porter.. It's a pleasure to meet you. Terribly Sorry about our guide, Mr. Claton. He takes his job very seriously given where we are."
 
Virie peered over at the lady who had stepped out from behind the hunter. This Jane seemed a lot nicer than the guy with the gun. Completely disregarding caution because the was the usually trusting person she was, she got straight to the point.

"I'm Virie and this is Halibel. We're looking for a friend of mine His name is Kai. He's got spiky black hair and a blue sweater," she explained, figuring that there probably was only one person who fit that sort of description in this forest. She almost asked where "here" was but figured that that would just cause more troubles when she couldn't tell them how they'd gotten here. She assumed that the people here probably were from this world and didn't know about other worlds beyond this one. So explaining it would be hard. And there was probably some sort of rule that they weren't supposed to tell everyone they met. It just seemed to make sense.
 
Jane and her father both greeted the girl and her odd companion with a smile before paying close attention to Virie's point. So she was looking for someone in the forest? seemed reasonable enough.. and the question of what they were doing there in the first place could be asked upon finding the lost young man.

"I'm terribly sorry but you're the first to come through here today..." Jane apologized, but Clayton looked intrigued.

A dark sort of smile coming upon his face before mock concern inverted it and he reached out a hand to pat the girl on the shoulder. "Not to worry Virie, I'll head out to find the boy... After all, he couldn't have found anything all..Too dangerous. There's a man out there I can recruit to help."

"..This.. might be a little more than I bargained for." Kai groaned, resting within the hollow of a tree, his body bruised and tired but the beast had gone for the time being. He wasn't sure what it was.. but it was as if someone had scared the thing off. There was a strange call on the air and the beast fled in the direction it had come from. Not a moment too soon..Kai was in no more condition to fight, and as deep into the forest as he had wandered, something told him wherever Virie was.. at least he'd helped keep her just a little more safe.

Kai raised an exhausted hand to his chest, but before he could he was out like a light. Simply too tired to stay awake any longer.
 
Virie glanced down at the ground when she found that they hadn't run into anyone else yet but quickly picked herself back up as moping over it wouldn't help any of them. If anything, it would be better to just keep looking. To her surprise, the hunter spoke up, patting her on the shoulder. More surprisingly, he was offering to help. He seemed almost fake... but maybe he was just like that. Some people always seemed to be acting and he could just be one of those ones that only knew how to be polite in a fake looking way.

"... What's out there that he could have found?" she asked in a worried tone, not sure she wanted to hear the answer to that one. The way he said it made her think that there must be something specific he was thinking of. And then there was that man that he'd referenced that could supposedly help but he seemed pretty experienced in this sort of place. Who else would do it better? She didn't know but any help was good. The more people that were out there looking, the better and it couldn't be bad to get everyone else aware so they didn't freak out upon seeing Halibel.
 
"See.. everything is back under control. We just need to keep an eye on them now." Said the young man as he typed away on the controls. There were now three monitors; One keeping an eye on Kai who was passed out, but safe within the hollow of a tree, another was watching Virie and Halibels progressing conversation about the dangers of the jungle and the wild man named Tarzan, and the third monitor held the disapproving face of a man with cruel orange eyes and long midnight blue hair.

"Well done, Glitch. I am glad you made up for Jaq's careless behavior." The man said, glancing from the boy to Jaq who was digging in her ear but jumped to attention at her name. "Perhaps I should have let my Hound keep track of them as she appears to be the only one who gets consistent results."

Jaq glanced down in shame with a grumble. "No Master Drexten.. I can handle this."

"Prove it.. She hasn't even been able to make her Key take it's true form yet... Get me results." He said and turned his eyes away as the creen blacked out and vanished.

"You gonna be ok?" Glitch asked, glancing over his shoulder, but the slamming of the doors behind him gave him his answer. He gave a sigh, then went back to work.

~~~~~~~

"Big gorilla go crazy? Kai in trouble!" Halibel frowned, but was stopped from running away by Clayton's large arm.

"Now now.. tarzan will no doubt find the boy, but just in case he doesn't, I will personally come with you to ensure your safety. When would you like to head out?" He asked.
 
A woman with short blonde hair, bloody red eyes, a silver gauntlets walked into the monitor room. She pulled her hood back over her head, the same white robes as all the others. She shut the door behind her, muffling the screams from the lab behind. Or better put, it was her little playground with all of her dolls.

"Oh my. Still can't get the poor thing motivated. I still say you should just let me give her strings a little tug. That'll get her going," Erika laughed. To her, all of this was just a little game, nothing of great concern. The keyblade was nothing more than a glorified toy. Sure, it'd be nice if it grew but Virie wasn't like a plant. She was a person and just like all people, she wouldn't require positive reinforcement to grow. Negative would do just fine. Then after a while of delicious screaming later, she'd fall in line with the rest of the dolls and they'd have all the pieces.

--

Virie listened to what Clayton had to say. From what it looked like, Jane trusted this Tarzan person and while Clayton didn't seem to be as fond of him, he at least trusted what he could do. A capable sounding guy. The gorilla part worried her, though. She'd never actually seen a real one before but she knew enough to know that they were really big and likely faster and stronger than any of them.

I'd like to leave as soon as possible," she decided, walking over to Halibel. She took a deep breath, telling herself that with so many people helping, there wouldn't be a problem at all. All there was to do now was to look and put any bad thoughts out of her mind.
 
Glitch didn't look up but the telltale screams were a dead give away as to who was next to visit. This one was different to Jaq in a lot of ways..but the most was how he got the creeps from anything she said that could be misunderstood as a hint to some sort of horrible torturous experiment.

"You know Jaq wouldn't like that.. besides, until Drexten says otherwise you know we're not to interfere with the girl directly." He said calmly, but paused with a slight frown. "but if Jaq doesn't make the kid show SOME kind of progress she could get into some real trouble.. maybe.. you could lend a hand without her knowing?"

~~~~~~

Clayton gave a grin and shouldered his rifle before setting out. Jane frowned, not trusting Clayton in the slightest, but she couldn't leave her father all alone. Clayton wouldn't have anyone to keep him from harming those gorillas.. she only hoped Virie and Halibel were more formidable than they looked.
 
Erika licked her lips, happy to know that at least Glitch approved of what she was planning to do anyway. Maybe she'd actually help Jaq, maybe she wouldn't but she made mincemeat out of words like "directly" like a top class lawyer. She was patient but only for certain kinds of things. Sometimes you had to tug on their hearts and make them scrabble for a goal with all their might only to yank it away. Other times you had to let them feel the pain and suffering of losing everything only to find out that they had more to lose again and again. That kind of stuff she could wait with but letting Jaq run free with her weak hearted attempts to light a fire in the girl wasn't her idea of a good time.

"I think it might be funner to let them both fall flat on their faces but rest assured, I'll craft the most heart wrenching soap opera you've ever seen out of them. I'll stain their pretty little hands with blood and they'll never be the same!" she cheered in an overly happy and go lucky tone compared to the sheer amount of sadism running in her head. But before all of that, she needed to make sure that her pet was trained just right before setting the stage. For now, she settled for watching the show on the monitors. After gathering the information she needed, she'd make appropriate... adjustments.

--

Virie hurried along after Clayton, having to take nearly two steps to his every one. She fidgeted with her key, nervous about whether Kai would be alright. When was it ever going to do something useful like help her find Kai or help her fight? At the same time, she was a little concerned about whether Halibel was still feeling bad about what had happened. It had sort of been her fault but playing the blame game was a hurtful thing that she tried to do as little as possible. Being mean to others was just not in her nature.
 
"..Stupid Erika... Masters Favorite.. masters Loyal Hound..Always making me look bad. I was here first and then --" Jaq fumed through the white halls of Order's HQ. It was like a mixture between modern and medieval architecture. The ceiling was raised and nearly blended into the white walls and pillars that held up the archways. Gold trim and a black carpet being the only thing to keep those new to the castle from walking headlong into a wall, it was a wonder why those steeped in darkness would have a lair so full of light.

"For when we bring the key to our side." She remembered Drexten explaining. "We must give her a sense of security.. Make her feel like she's safe among us."

Yeah.. Sure. That made perfect sense.. she just needed to make Virie's confidence grow. With that, her key should grow too right? Maybe have her values tested? Maybe find a way to tame that crazy Gorilla..no doubt the byproduct of one of their members stopping through on an exam to test their abilities. Either way, it could be useful.

~~~~~~

Halibel followed the group as carefully and quickly as she could. For something that looked so wild she didn't care much for the jungle and it didn't seem to care for her. With every step they took there was a new and even less familiar sound and though Clayton led them along Halibel had no idea how he kept his heading as every tree they passed looked identical to the last. Even still, it wasn't going to be a problem tat guilt itching at the back of her mind kept her moving forward.

As they pressed on the tree's grew thicker and what light barely pierced the canopy was soon snuffed out plunging them into the emerald twilight of the forest floor. The air grew thick the musk of something large that must have passed through, and Clayton's hackles raised like the hunter her was. Everything within him going on high alert.

A few more steps were taken, and Halibel gave a start, reaching out to grab hold of something as she nearly fell into an odd sort of hole in the ground. The "something" she caught was Claytons belt, and if it weren't for him turning to catch it from slipping, he wouldn't have noticed the massive footprint Halibel had nearly slipped into. Upon further examination he also noticed the broken branched overhead, and the clear signs of a scuffle. "...you've grown.. haven't you?" Clayton intoned, looking up and around them carefully. "At least we're on the right track."
 
Virie stayed a few steps behind Clayton the whole way, making sure not to get lost. This forest seemed to have almost no landmarks to follow or at least none she could see. The treehouse had been left far behind and nothing so convenient as a stream to follow was around where they were going. In fact, she had no idea how even he knew where he was taking them but once they came to the oversized footprint, she concluded that he must see stuff that they didn't. Definitely skilled at his job. On the other hand, it seemed that whatever it was he had been looking for was different from before and that bothered her even more than the prospect of Hali almost pulling Clayton's pants down. Luckily, he wore a belt.

"What's grown?" she asked, looking around the area for signs that Kai was around or was here at one point. She didn't see blood or a body so she figured that at least no one died in this area. Unfortunately, there were no important things to be found that she could see. No shreds of clothing, no staff, no ice, no Kai. But that footprint was bigger than anything she'd ever seen before. Sure, she'd only lived on the nice, quiet Destiny Islands but the thing was absolutely huge. Her thoughts wandered back to that thing that Yuffie and Leon had been fighting but the shape of the foot didn't match.
 
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