Gun Gale
The whole city was in a frenzy over what just transpired in the Turf War. Normally, the children's games for Gun Gale were never broadcasted on the in-game news, only the Gun About battles, but since those had been postponed, the Turf Wars were their only source of trigger-happy entertainment. But all the TVs were forcibly tuned in to that channel to broadcast the event.
Sector SA's group were loitering by the wall on the H.Q.'s pavilion. Millium was patting Goombella's head in comfort. Fie and Sinon could see the pain in their eyes as their heads hung. "That girl was… a friend of yours?" Fie asked.
"She was an operative from Sector LN." Morgiana answered. "Her and I worked together for a short time. It isn't like we were particularly close, but…"
"It doesn't make it any less painful." Nagisa sighed. "Just knowing that she's dead… and we watched…"
Sinon bit her lip, her heart swelling with guilt. "I'm sorry… even when I shot him, it did nothing… I didn't get stronger at all…"
"What do you mean you didn't get stronger?" Goombella asked. "It isn't your fault this happened. If anything, it's ours."
"I…"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha."
The air turned red as the group whipped around. The surrounding crowds turned as Infinite himself spawned on the pavilion. "It's Infinite!" a Fongoid man screamed. "Is he going to erase the avatars on this floor?!"
"I ain't turning back into my puny Terachnoid self!" an Agorian yelled. "Let's get outta here!"
While the crowds fled from the scene, Sector SA readied their selves as Infinite approached them with a glaring eye. "It seems you made the news again. What perfect timing…"
"You had that monster attack us on purpose?!" Goombella yelled.
"All I did was hack the game to make him spawn in the Turf Wars. The players here seemed a little too safe for my tastes, so I gave them some incentive to hunt down the boss for this floor. I certainly didn't expect him to appear for Scheherazade's friends~"
"Of course." Goombella rolled her eyes.
"What's he mean by that?" Sinon asked, holding her rifle in a quivering manner.
"They were all over the news a while back." Fie replied.
"But I don't see Scheherazade among you." Infinite mustered a red, digital orb in his hand. "Unless it's one of you!" The orb became a huge ray that enveloped the group. Millium's avatar shattered as she grew to Fie's height, and Sinon's shattered as well.
Sinon's cyan hair and eyes had changed to black. She wore a long-sleeved, comfy pajama shirt with white sleeves and a light-brown torso, along with short black shorts. Her legs were otherwise bare, feeling a chill on them as she felt unbalanced. The group was surprised by how different and ordinary she looked compared to the cool and composed military avatar that was her guise.
"Not here, eh? Then perhaps she isn't logged into the game at all."
"You're about to be logged out yourself!" Killua dashed at Infinite, his sharp fingers imbued with lightning as he tried to slash him. Killua's body glitched and froze just centimeters from him, so Fie leapt to slash Infinite with daggers. He dodged the blades while making little motion, and a force of power blew the assassins away.
"Did you forget what I can do?" Infinite willed a swarm of robots to spawn on the street. "I control everything in this world!"
"No you don't!" Morgiana declared, she and Nagisa linking hands.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!" The couple unleashed a combined explosion of Fear and soundbending, exploding the robots.
"Gah!" Infinite had to shut his ears from the noise. He willed tape to spawn over their mouths, but he was then stabbed in the back by sharp shards from the robots' remains. They were controlled by Goombella's psychicbending.
"So, it is possible to hurt him!" Goombella observed.
"What good do you think it'll do?!" Infinite shouted as he willed the damage to heal.
Nagisa and Morg teared their tape off and unleashed another combined scream to stun him, while Killua rushed behind to pierce his back. Infinite willed a rubbery substance to form and trap Killua, leaving Fie to attempt an attack. "Hey, Sinon!"
She gasped, just now spotting Goombella down by her right. Luckily, Nagisa and Morg focused most of their sound over Infinite, so her voice was audible. "Try to shoot that gem on his chest! It might be a source of power!"
Sinon noticed the red egg on Infinite's chest. "I…I…" The rifle trembled in her ordinary human hands.
"Want me to lift you to a good vantage point?"
That wasn't the problem. Seeing herself in ordinary clothes, holding a gun… a gun that could actually kill… with a good shot, she could kill Infinite… she could kill…
"Come on, kid, give it back!" the ugly-faced man demanded.
"YAH!" Infinite trapped their heads in metal helmets and stopped the screaming. "You'll pay for your insolence!" He lunged at the group with fury.
It was then that Chadley, the white-haired boy in geeky attire, leapt in and slashed Infinite with a white lightsaber. "I shall divert his attention whilst you make your retreat!" he yelled in his matter-of-fact tone.
"Chadley?!" Goombella gasped. "No, you'll get killed!"
Infinite tried to bind the boy in chains, but Chadley cut himself free and swung a slash at Infinite's egg. "AGH!" He cried out in pain as the bonds holding Sector SA derezzed.
"Entrust this to me! I would advise you search for the boss before it hurts anyone else on this floor!"
Infinite conjured another swarm of robots as they fired bullets at Chadley, the boy stylishly whirling his lightsaber to deflect them. "Sinon, maybe you can get a shot now!" Nagisa suggested.
"N-No… I…I can't do it!" She clenched her rifle in total panic.
Nagisa saw the terror in her eyes and the faults in her posture. She must have felt very naked and powerless in her homey attire, much like most of the players on Floor 1. He saw Killua attempt to land a sneak attack on Infinite's egg, but he was stopped before he could, so Infinite landed a kick that depleted most of Killua's HP. "Everyone, retreat! Morg, carry Sinon!"
"Right!" Morgiana lifted the sniper in her arms and dashed up the street.
"Chadley, run away as soon as you get a chance to!" Killua shouted, following his friends.
"You do not have to be concerned for my wellbeing." Chadley said, dealing a flurry of cuts to Infinite.
"No! Why can't my bending stop you?!"
"The answer is simple." Chadley leapt away and held his sword composedly. "Your skill is inferior to mine."
"Are you calling me WEAK?!"
"Yes, that is an accurate synonym."
"You… just who ARE YOU?!"
…
Sector SA retreated several blocks down and hid in an alleyway. "Well, that was almost a disaster." Millium sighed, still showing a hint of cheeriness in her voice despite her downtrodden feelings. "Are you sure we should've left him?"
"It's weird that he was able to attack Infinite so easily." Fie said. "Maybe Chadley was some kind of guardian Program? He did seem pretty knowledgeable on this game's rules."
"Either way, I hope he survives." Nagisa replied. "I guess we oughta do what he said and search for the boss."
Morg had set Sinon down. "Are you okay?"
"No. I can't…I can't do this, anymore. I'm going to an inn." She was about to leave the alley—flinching as she stepped in a puddle.
"You're leaving?" Killua asked. "I thought you were training to fight the boss?"
"And my training got me nowhere!" She turned back in aggravation. "My life was threatened… someone died… and I nearly threatened someone else. No matter how many players I shoot online… it doesn't make the pain go away."
"Sinon…" Goombella said, sympathy glimmering in her eyes. She could feel that something deep was troubling her.
Sinon's dilated pupils told Killua everything. "…You killed someone, didn't you?"
"?!" Her pupils creased even further at his blunt statement. She saw Nagisa's eyes widen slightly, with everyone else showing a hint of realization. "Killua!" Morg hissed.
"Those eyes… they're not from just watching someone be killed. They're racked with guilt."
"!!" Sinon whirled around and bolted up the street.
Morgiana socked Killua on the crown. "Why couldn't you keep that to yourself?!"
"I had to know for sure… and now I do."
"You could've at least told us to leave! That was just insensitive!"
"I was sort of thinking we could empathize with her or something. That's what friends do."
"We've only known her a day!" Goombella shouted. "That's hardly enough time for sensitive backstories!"
"Yeah, Goombella." Nagisa replied. "What we should've done is snuck home with her and eavesdropped on her sensitive home life."
"What?!" The Goomba flushed. "Ah- I-… Well, I learned that was wrong! Why even bring that up?!"
"Okay, I'm feeling a little uncomfortable." Millium said. "So, are we gonna apologize to her or what?"
"I think she's going to want some personal space." Morg replied. "As for us… we have to take down that boss."
"I'm sort of low on HP." Killua said. "I kinda need an inn myself."
Morg shot him a glare. "Why don't we find a restaurant instead?" Nagisa suggested. "We can get HP from eating food as well. We should also get some directions to Dead Man Valley. That's where the Reaper is based, right?"
"That's what Sinon said." Goombella remembered. The group could only feel bad for their acquaintance. While they were internally curious on her background, it was best not to bother her any further.
Elevator Tower
"According to Carol, the real Vanellope was ambushed by some kind of security guard on Floor 13, while she was going to meet Raleigh." Eddy explained as they rushed into the tower. "But suddenly, another man in similar armor showed up to save her. He called himself Tron."
"Tron? Like, from that old Space Paranoids game?" Miko asked.
"I think Disney owns that company now." Kazma replied, now reverted to his human form. "This game is sponsored by Disney, so it makes sense he's here."
"Hmmm…I was thinking of a different Tron." Jenny replied.
"Anyway, he took Vanellope to Level 38, but the security guard is still chasing them. Let's head up to help them!"
"Technically down, since we're on Floor 51." Miko corrected.
"Miko, I am detecting a Pure Heart on Level 38 as well."
"Really? That really works out! Heh, we'll be finished with the game in no time!"
The team found an empty elevator and enjoyed a leisurely ride down. The sun was beginning to set over the realms of Aincrad. Floor 48, Lindarth, was a valley of giant waterwheel structures. Level 46, Ant Hill, was a valley of ant hills, beehives, and any other bug nest, where players were required to be scaled down to explore the land of bugs. Floor 40, Jaileum, was a dark, maximum security prison where players had to utilize stealth abilities.
Jenny stood near Kazma as the latter leaned against the wall. "…Hey. Thanks for sticking up for me back there."
"Huh?" She turned to him. "Oh, you're welcome. Though to be honest, I think all four of you were being immature."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Frankly," Quill said, "if you're an enemy to all the famous gamers, that's gonna make us their enemies, too."
"I don't hate all of them."
"Pfft, which ones DON'T you hate?" Miko snickered. "Like, I saw a couple videos where people make fun of you, and-"
"Okay, just shut up. But I'm serious. I didn't hate Chiaki."
"Who's Chiaki?" Jenny asked.
"She was the Number One gamer a few years ago." Eddy answered. "But she died in an accident. I sort of liked her, too." He smiled. "She had, like, a jillion subscribers, but she was…"
"Different." Kazma finished for him. "She was nice…"
Year 2032
Kazma hated popular people. He hated the cool kids at his school and he hated the popular gamers online. The jealous 10-year-old recorded his own playthroughs and showed off his epic skills, hoping to land just as many subscribers. He scored quite a handful, but they were nothing in comparison to the amount they had. What made them so special? Their commentary was hardly even that funny, and some of them were plain disrespectful to the games they played!
Especially her… that girl who called herself "Usami," but was known in gaming circles as Chiaki Nanami. She had a ton of followers for her cute, soft-sounding voice, and in some of her face reveals, she was undeniably cute with her dark-green kitten hoodie and unique pale mauve hair, with pale peach eyes. But her commentary was so tasteless! It was dull and rid of emotion! She was killer at all the games she played and wiped the floor with anyone, but she expressed little joy or interest in them. She was so good at the games that she began to look down on them. They were as second nature to her as the ability to walk.
So one day, the immature boy decided to be brave and type an angry comment on one of her videos. "God, I can't stand your voice! This game is awesome and you sound like you don't give a crap! Why do you even play these games if they bore you?!"
It was his first time expressing such frustration on a comment… though he didn't see anything wrong with it. It was no different from getting mad at someone in real life… except they didn't have about a thousand people to defend them. Kazma was bombarded with angry replies from a ton of Chiaki's fans. All full of swear words, death threats, and unbridled spite. Just seeing all these words made his head swell with mental pain.
But before he knew it, all those comments disappeared. Some were still trying, but they would follow suit. Then… Usami herself replied to him. I'm sorry if I'm not giving this game justice. I agree, it's really amazing. And I'm sorry for my voice.
Kazma wasn't sure how to react. After everyone else hated him… she was thankful? No, it had to be sarcasm, surely. There's no way she would listen to one angry commenter while she got praise from everyone else.
But by the time of her next video, she tried to add a little more flare to her voice. It was a speedrun, but she tried to dedicate time to talking about the elements that she liked, and the parts of the game she felt bad for skipping over. She started to sound genuinely enjoyed… as if she actually took his words to heart.
Or maybe someone else made this suggestion in a nicer way. Or it was just coincidence. It would certainly feel too awkward to ask directly, so he merely kept watching her videos.
However, during one Saturday afternoon… Kazma saw a comment on one of his videos. It came from Usami. That's a pretty clever trick! Not too many know about that.
He blushed at the compliment. And he was royally stunned that someone as popular as her would comment on him. He replied back, "Yeah, it felt cool when I figured it out. You like this game?"
Of course! I like all games.
"Really? Not many people like this game, for some reason."
It's because it has a bunch of bugs and glitches. But that's never really bothered me. I know how to avoid the bad glitches and use the helpful ones. And even with these problems, it still feels like the developers put a lot of heart in this game.
He really couldn't believe he was having a conversation with her. About this game, no less. "…Yeah! And the glitches are funny! That's why I like it!"
That's good. I love how passionate you are about these games.
"You watched other videos?"
Yeah, but I couldn't think of what to comment on. Pardon my asking, but how old are you? I'm just curious.
"I'm 10. Ten and awesome!"
You're quite skilled for your age. I'm 13 myself.
Kazma narrowed his eyes. She was probably being condescending, like a big sister. When this thought crossed his mind, he grew frustrated, and decided to ask her directly. "You're mad about that comment, aren't you?"
You mean that first comment? No, I appreciated the criticism. No one's ever complained about my voice before.
He just couldn't read this girl at all. Was she being sarcastic or just plain clueless? He hardly knew of anyone that would accept negative comments so positively. "Why did you delete all those other comments?"
They were saying awful things. Did you want me to leave them up?
"Not really… but weren't those people on your side?"
I don't know any of them. They never leave me anything aside from simple, one-liner praise. Granted, some of my friends saw the comment and tried to offer me condolences, but I wasn't offended. I was glad to hear that I wasn't perfect.
"Why would you like that?"
I've been great at games ever since I was little. It didn't take long for me to build up high scores or understand the mechanics. And ever since, people revered me. Videogames are my life, and I barely look at anything else. Games are so natural to me that I can't help but feel bored. I love all the games that I play, but it's hard to express that love when I can't even get frustrated. But after seeing your comment and watching your videos, I'm kind of remembering that love.
"…" Kazma was at a loss for words. He didn't quite understand her plight… but at the same time, her words felt so honest. So friendly. So different. "…Well, thanks!" was the only lame thing he could say.
Afterwards, Kazma watched one of her face reveal videos, where Chiaki simply showed off her game collection. Her face was pale and voice soft and neutral… but Kazma's tan face was flushed with emotion. He smiled like a dopey schoolboy in love. She was so cute… and her words so pure.
For the next couple years, Kazma kept watching her videos. They talked a little bit, but Chiaki was mostly preoccupied with school and other friends. It didn't bother him too much as he was only happy watching her videos, and thankful when she watched his. …Then, in 2034, the news hit.
Video footage of a gigantic hand tearing Towa City out of the planet flooded the news stations. Kazma was aware that that was Chiaki's hometown… but surely, she would be fine. She would eventually upload a video of this incident, showing she was okay and asking for help.
Everyone, I have terrible news. Usami is dead. She was running out of the arcade when the disaster hit. Some buildings fell, and a huge piece of rubble fell on her. I won't describe how she looked, but let us pay our respects.
This was the latest comment on her homepage. The message would sweep across the gaming communities. "…" Kazma couldn't bring himself to leave a comment. He crawled over to his futon and pulled himself under the covers. He hugged a stuffed, white bunny angel, which Chiaki had used as her avatar, tightly to his chest.
Present time
"Hey, Kazma, you okay?" Jenny asked, seeing a droll look in his eye.
"Huh? Y-Yeah, what?"
"You sorta went dead. I thought you were about to say something about Chiaki."
"What was the accident?" Quill asked.
"Forget about it." Kazma stated. "I think we're here."
Turning to the elevator window, it seemed they had arrived at a city of giant music instruments and neon buildings under a night sky. "Now arriving on Level 38: Danceopolis!" Boly announced.
The floor felt rather lively with music of all genres. In one corner, there was a piano hall, another had a jazz hall, and several of the players were carrying instruments of their choosing. "Yeah, I can dig this!" Kazma nodded, their central square hearing a faint mixture of all the tunes.
"The music floor! Nice!" Miko rocked to her air guitar. "Call me biased, but I got a soft spot for rhythm games!"
"I don't exactly play music games, but I like me some good VGM." Eddy smiled. "Now, we need to find Vanellope. Carol says that 'Tron' is taking her to Karaoke Tower."
"Is this a map of the floor?" Carmine asked, leading them to a large board. "The Karaoke Tower is north-northeast, I think."
"I don't suppose the Pure Heart is in that direction, too, Boly?"
"The Pure Heart is approximately 5,000 feet above said direction."
"YO, that's way too high!" Miko jumped. "Are there like Sky Islands or something?"
"Data unavailable."
"We can ask around once we head over." Jenny affirmed. "Let's go while we got this groove goin'!" (Play "Rhythm Jump Studio" from Hat in Time!)
Stage 5: Danceopolis
Mission: Locate Vanellope and Tron!
Jenny, Eddy, and Quill took a lower route through the roads while the others took a more fun route. Similar to the blue and purple platforms Miko was previously using, she, Kazma, and Carmine jumped up a stairway of these platforms to cross a canal. They landed on the roof of a small building where Groovebots spun into digitization. They danced around the trio while swiftly evading their attacks, but when Miko tried to match their groove, she was able to kick one off its feet, perform a flip, and smash its head. "Kazma, on you!" She flashed him back into his rabbit form as he did a breakdance to take down the 2nd robot, while Carmine flicked a bomb with the rhythm to destroy the third.
A yellow Pixl that resembled a note flew out. "Oh, I bet this'll be fun!" Miko beamed as she absorbed the Piccolo. She cast a Song Road from her glove as the three surfed across it. They each had to jump over spiky notes in conjunction with the music, a relatively simple feat as the sheet landed them on the end of a walkway. The walkway was rotating in the air, and they would have to jump to corresponding ones when they circled by. Should they wait too long, a wall would boop into solidity and push them off. They could eventually rest on a rooftop before balancing over a wire.
Music notes were floating over the wire, beeping in and out, but would electrify them while they were solid. It was easy to jump or pass through the first sets of notes, until they would have to jump to floating trampolines with several notes to impede them. Kazma held the girls in his arms, relying on the rabbit's jumps to carry them up the trampolines. They landed on another wire and had to jump through two rows of notes, each active at different intervals. Kazma timed it to jump past the first set, with the rhythm switching off the second set in time to make it through. The last wire carried them to a rooftop with another Piccolo.
"Our next song will be the classic, 'Don't Start Unbelieving'! Featuring ShootingStar!"
A nearby TV displayed the karaoke stage, where a tall, thin girl with white hair, horns, and glistening silvery-blue skin that glittered like stars took the stand. She wore a sweater with an almost photorealistic design of a comet. She spoke in an energetic, loudish voice. "Thank you, thank you! We're not as popular as we were four years ago, but these stars still have a little light! And here to serve as my backup dancer, it's Little Dipper!"
The camera tilted down at a gnome, roughly the height of her knees (due to his pointed hat that was shaped like a pine tree). "I lost a bet, so I got stuck with this body!" he declared in a more normal voice.
As ShootingStar began a song, the world rumbled as the cone-shaped Karaoke Tower seemed to twist and rise. "Boly, you said the heart was really high up in that direction. I bet that tower will help us get to it!"
"But what's making it rise?" Kazma wondered.
Miko used the Piccolo to conjure a series of neon Barrel Cannons. The trio grouped into one, but a fountain of notes threatened to fly up and destroy it. At the same time, a separate row was floating by the next cannon. They would shoot at the sound of the "DUN" in the music, and would follow this rhythm as necessary with the other cannons. Ra-da DUN…DUN… dun, dun, DUN. Ra-da DUN…DUN… ra-dun, dun, DUN!
They landed on a platform before a multi-colored tiled floor. There was a screen above it with red, green, and blue displayed. The trio each chose one of these tiles and jumped on it. Afterwards, yellow, purple, and blue were shown, so they jumped to either of those tiles. Once they were past this puzzle, they jumped onto a giant record. As it spun and carried them, a band of XANA Megatanks rolled onto the record. The large, black balls would open up and expand red barriers in attempt to push them off. When the trio tried to pursue around the record's flow, the Megatanks simply rolled to the other side. They remained a good distance away and baited the robots into shooting their barriers, while Carmine rolled her bombs around the record. They rolled under the open Megatanks and exploded them.
The robots released a Carrie, which would allow them to jump some upturned record needles. The needles would bob down with the weight of their jumps, and they used this function to perform momentum jumps to higher needles. They landed at the top of a slanted piano road, very slippery as their Carrie quickly slid down. They couldn't jump early with the notes hanging overhead, but they could do so at the end, landing on a stairway of notes they could jump up. At the top, they slid down another piano road, followed by one more before landing on a platform. They would have to cross another tiled floor, but the indicator screen was glitching and rapidly changing colors. There was a Pause Switch atop that screen, and Miko could balance a wire to climb up to it. The switch Paused the screen on yellow, orange, and red, so the group jumped these tiles and avoided electrocution.
They landed on a platform at the back of a huge crowd. Miko's U.I. rang as she answered a call from Quill. "Guys, we found Vanellope! Where are you?"
"We're in the audience of the Karaoke Tower. We're gonna try to figure out how to reach the heart."
…
"We'll try to regroup with you in a bit." Quill replied before hanging up. He, Eddy, and Jenny saw Vanellope and Tron hiding behind some trashcans near the audience, the blue glow of the latter's suit giving away their position.
"I wonder why this game has trashcans?" Tron thought aloud. "Couldn't they just program dropped scrap to disappear?"
"Learn to appreciate the aesthetics, man." Vanel remarked.
"Hey, Vanellope!"
They looked around with a light gasp. "Hey, it's Sector Q!" Vanel declared as she eagerly jogged up to them. Behind her was a floating, holographic camera lens.
"Vanellope!" Eddy greeted. "I'm guessing Carol's behind you for real this time?"
"Yes, Eddy, it is actually Vanellope this time." The camera sounded with Carol's voice.
"Greetings, friends!" Tron stood and approached them with a smile. "You must be Vanellope's user acquaintances!"
"Are you really Tron?"
"Don't be silly." Vanel sneered. "It's just Tronta from GKND!"
"That's what I figured." Jenny nodded.
"Hahaha! It was a good chance to get into the act. Except now it's Halloween all over again."
"But what was that Carol was telling me about a fake Vanel?"
"We're still wondering that ourselves." Jenny replied. "She was just a rogue glitch that looked like you. You think that Hinobi programmed copies of you into the game? You are a pretty classic character."
"But why would she act like she knew us?" Quill asked.
"Hmmm…" Vanellope narrowed her eyes in thought. "Does Infinite have other people working with him? Besides Eggman?"
"You mean like other Programs or users? There was also that Sark guy from the race."
"Yeah, but not just any Programs. I wonder if-"
"THERE you are!" They whipped around, seeing CLU accompanied by a team of guards in similar orange armor, wielding two-sided lightsabers. "Glitch!"
"Another evil Program!" Eddy drew his sword.
"Move aside, kids! That girl was illegally uploaded into the game! In fact…" CLU noticed the holo-camera behind Eddy. "You don't seem natural either!"
"Is he some sort of security Program?"
"Guys, meet us at the backstage!" Tron yelled, lifting Vanellope. He attached two Light Discs to his shoes to make them wheels. "We have allies here!" He zoomed off, leaving twin blue streaks.
CLU materialized a Light Cycle from a small stick and rode after them.
…
Miko shuffled her way through the crowd of aliens as ShootingStar's song was reaching a finale. Kazma had lifted Carmine onto his tall shoulder so she didn't get lost, the two following the highlights of Miko's violet hair. She wasn't sure who to ask for clues, so she would select a random person in her vision.
Her eyes fell to the back of a red, long-sleeved hoodie. Miko assumed it was a girl, judging by the short white skirt. Her long legs were a minty green, and she wore darker-green shoes. It also seemed she was hunched over with her arms positioned up, in which her oversized sleeves hung down.
Miko simply walked up and tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me?"
The girl turned with a gasp. She had blue hair under her hood and wide round glasses. "Yeah, what?" she asked in a slight nervous tone.
"We saw that tower rise up a minute ago. We're new here, so you know what that's about?"
"Uh, th-they're making the tower rise with Music Chi. They think if it gets high enough, it'll open a secret area. If it goes too long without music, then it just sinks down…"
"So, only musicbenders can do that?"
"N-No no, no… I think anyone can…" She was nervously turning away.
"Ah, okay!" Miko perked up, ready to march toward the stage. "That must be how we…?" She stopped herself, raising a curious brow. "…Do I know you?" She turned back to the hooded girl.
"M-Me?"
"Yeah. I feel like I've seen you before."
"I-I don't…!" Her eyes lit up. In fact, she recognized the violet teen herself. "…Er, I don't think I know you." She hoped sticking to this lie would veer Miko away.
But the gamer was nonetheless pondering. She looked the girl up and down, trying to recollect her memories. "…!" Then it hit her like a ton of fish. "SAYU?!"
The nearby people looked over at the shout. They stared at Miko confusedly, while the hooded girl had sunk to the ground, trying to curl up like a turtle. "Did she say Sayu?"
"I don't see a giant mermaid anywhere…"
The girl crawled behind Kazma's legs, thinking they made good cover. "Wait! You are Sayu, aren't you? I remember seeing you at the-"
"No I'm not Sayu, just leave me alone!"
"Miko, you're scaring her." Carmine said. "Who is Sayu, anyway?"
"She's like a famous digi-popstar! But why wouldn't you be… Oh, it was because you were on Floor 1, huh? I know!" Miko aimed her glove.
"Stop, what are you d-" As soon as the girl was flashed, her body began to morph and swell. (Play "Vs. Sayu" from No Straight Roads!)
The surrounding crowd was blown away as a giant, pink mermaid with blue heart eyes, a white dress, and several eye-popping aesthetics exploded into being. "Huh?! Uh?!" Baffled by her sudden gigantification, the girl panicked as all eyes were drawn to her.
"Hey! It's Sayu!"
"SAYUUUUUU!"
"SAYU! SAYU! SAYU!"
The mermaid stared at her puffy hands and her fish tail. "Whoa! She's huge!" Kazma gawked.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen," said the announcer, a microphone alien, "it seems we have a surprise guest appearance! Will Lady Sayu treat us to her hit single? Will her Currents of Love make the tower rise to its peak?!"
"Yaaaaaaaaaayyyy!"
She could barely process what had just happened. A minute ago, she was in her dim, meek, nerdy form, but she had spontaneously changed back into the flashy, adorable mermaid everyone knew and loved. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" she said cheerily. "I'm so happy to see all my wonderful fans again! Pyun! Pyun!"
"Wow, she's a totally different person." Carmine said.
Sayu used a large bubble floatie to float onto the stage. Now filled with confidence as deep as the sea, she sang her song.
"Undercurrents," Tronta jumped some platforms that would pop in from Sayu's Music Chi, "pull at your heart," then Vanel helped him zip up and over some notes. "Feeling so powerful, it…" They jumped some drums and slid down a saxophone, "LEADS you on!" They blew out the other end and glitched up, down, and up past some note columns. "The waves of emotion," they leapt over some note waves, "wash over me," and ducked down to limbo-slide under a higher wave, "But can you see the ocean…" Tron Wall Jumped some vertical records and into another sax, "through the reef?" then they jumped the heads of some Light Cyclers.
"Undercurrents," they jumped four platforms, "drag at your heart," slid and jumped two slanted pianos, "Feeling so powerful, it…" Vanellope zipped through two incoming Cyclers before returning to Tron, "LEADS you on!" followed by sliding up a sloped Song Road. "A new tide comes in and I'm washed away," the slope dramatically sank as they slid like a waterslide, jumping notes with the rhythm, "Forces stronger than hate are left in the wake." Vanel zipped up to KO some XANA Hornets while Tron twirled to shoot discs at Cyclers. They regrouped and jumped a stairway of stacked Megatanks.
"More glitches?!" CLU scowled at the XANAbots. "Men, destroy them!"
"Miko, I see Vanellope!" Carmine pointed across the crowd. "They're being chased!"
"Let's go help!"
Tron was ascending up a swirling Song Road, watching as the tower rose even higher. There was a coast and small ocean behind the tower, but they couldn't admire the sights as CLU was chasing them. "Stronger… than hate!" They sliced through some XANA Creepers and jumped off a Krab. "Anchored through the tidal waves!" A wall of notes blocked them, so they Ground Pounded down, then hurriedly repeated the process three times. "Go on… take the bait," they zipped over a chasm, then ducked some note walls, "You can't fight the currents of love," followed by tearing through some Creepers—the next verse immediately started.
"LIFTS you," they climbed a tall note pole, "from the deep," then jumped off and into a saxophone, "Rescued when you're lost at sea," which exited onto parallel piano slides, having to jump between either with rhythm. "Only surge you'll ever need," they arched up and down some song hills while KOing a soldier, "You can't fight the currents of looooooove…"
A great, swirling Song Slide flew them over the crowd. CLU's cycle was catching up- "AH!" but he was shot in the back by a fireball.
"Leave them alone!" Jenny yelled, Quill riding on her shoulders. "Can't you see they're enjoying a show?!"
CLU growled and threw his Light Disc back, but Jenny kicked it away, sped up, and kicked his head! CLU fell off the Light Cycle and crashed in a clearing of the crowd. "Hey!" He pulled himself up to find a smirking Miko, her fist raised. "Wanna have a go at me, too?!"
"You…" CLU stared in surprise. "You're-" But found himself having to guard as Miko started throwing punches, singing the faster part of the song.
"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR," left fist, right fist, left foot, and right, "Motion on the ocean floor!" followed by rapid punches! "Five, six, seven, eight," she grabbed CLU's arms, headbutted, kicked off, then booty-thrusted, "double bubble, swim some more!" She spun on one foot and dealt a roundabout kick. "One, two, three, four, motion on the ocean floor!" She swiftly dodged his shock sticks and kicked him back.
As CLU tried to catch his breath, Quill dropped and rapid-fired. "One, two, three, four, swishing fishes, bring it in!" He rolled out of the way, but Jenny landed. "Five, six, seven, eight," she dealt those kicks as CLU blocked, "Triple ripple, shake your fins!" then leapt to clamp his head between her skates and grinded them! He pushed her off as, "One, two, three, four," Eddy cut his back from behind, "Swishing fishes, let's begin!" CLU blocked his sword with a shock stick and zapped him, allowing CLU to kick Eddy away.
"One, two, three, four," Kazma dealt a flurry of attacks, "salmon jammin' everywhere!" then he hopped around to confuse him before tackling the man. "Five, six, seven, eight," Kazma tried to bite, but CLU dodged his head, "slammin' clams, I just don't care!" He flipped Kazma onto his back and bashed both fists. "One, two, three, four," he jumped back when Miko tried to punch him, "Salmon jammin' everywhere!" Four bombs fell around him and exploded.
CLU gasped for breath and noticed his HP dwindling. The six operatives had him surrounded. "If you're a real person, we don't wanna keep hurting you." Miko stated. "So, leave our friend alone."
"Hm hm…" CLU straightened up with hands raised. "The broken Program is your friend, Miko? How bizarre."
"You… know my name? But who are you?" Miko shone a light over CLU and disabled his avatar.
He changed into a larger, old man in a black robe. "Obi-wan Kenobi?" Jenny questioned.
"My name is Kevin Flynn. I'm a lead developer at Hinobi."
"Flynn?" Eddy asked. "The same Flynn that made Space Paranoids?"
"Before the company was bought out by Disney. And I can see the MCP has joined with you."
"Greetings, Producer Flynn." Boly greeted. "I must apologize for my malfunction in allowing Infinite to corrupt my system."
"You should. How could you allow something like this to happen?"
"Well, that's mean." Miko replied in offense. "It's your fault for not designing better security."
Flynn chuckled, changing back into his CLU form. "Yes, you would think that. But this Program is unlike any other in the universe. Seeing her be dismantled so easily is disappointing."
"I agree that my failure was an illogical outcome." Boly replied. "The only explanation I can conjecture is that Infinite possessed some sort of-"
"You think we don't already know that? But even in your incomplete state, you should have been more than capable of defeating him!"
"I'm not sure I like the way you're talking to her." Miko said.
"You'll understand soon enough, Miko." CLU stared up at Karaoke Tower. Now risen to its peak, the cone-shaped tower had highlighted streaks going up along it. "Fortunately, it seems the tower is satisfied. You're searching for the Pure Hearts, correct? I have no doubt one is up there."
"Oh, my goodness!" Sayu squeed. "Who would have thought that I, the humble Sayu, could restore our sweet tower? Seeing it reminds me of a giant ice cream cone, with a sweet, heaping scoop of delicious Sayu~!"
"There you have it, folks!" the announcer said. "It looks like Lady Sayu will have the honor of leading our singers to the top of Karaoke Tower! May their vocals be heard across all Aincrad!"
"Ha ha ha." CLU smirked. "Why should that oversized popstar have the glory? Let's make some room for the real star." He turned and aimed his Light Disc at the mermaid.
"HEY, what're you doing?!" Carmine shouted, though she wasn't sensing lethal intent. Regardless, she threw a bomb, but CLU jumped away and fired a large beam directly at Sayu.
"Zzzzzzzzzttttt!" The audience gasped as the mermaid shrank and compressed into her hooded, dorky form. Some looked in the direction of CLU while others kept their gaze up at Sayu, concerned for her health.
"Huh?! Uh…" Sayu looked over her mint-green legs and sleeved arms in panic. She was back to her plain, normal form, but exposed before all her fans. "AaaaaaAAAAHHHH!" Utterly flustered, she rushed backstage.
"That should make her more manageable." CLU said. "Use her to climb the tower, Miko."
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Kazma shouted.
"In this world, I'm CLU. And I will ensure Aincrad is the perfect system!" He materialized his Light Cycle. "Now if you excuse me, I have glitches to derez." And he zoomed away in a streak of light.
Quill released a sigh. "Well, Tron and Vanellope said to meet backstage. Let's fill each other in before we make that climb."
"I wanna check on that Sayu girl, too." Carmine mentioned.
"Me, too." Miko agreed. She glared in CLU's direction one more time. Why did he try to be so 'friendly' to her? Just what were they up to…