F-3. New Galaxia

Cheren Uno was driving the R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R. through the surreal dimension, and with him were Panini, Maddy, and Zach. Cheren had a habit of driving through the Water Gates, causing giant droplets to fly and rotate alongside them before they crashed onto asteroids and became butterflies. "This universe looks like it was drawn by a drug-addict." Maddy commented.

"Are you kidding, it looks amazing!" Cheren beamed. "I can't wait until we get to meet some people. What do you think, Panini?"

"Hm?" Panini had been staring out the window before her name had been said. "Oh… it looks ah right."

"What's got you so down?"

"Well, it's just… why haven't we met the trolls, yet? They were the ones leading us here, they shoulda been the first people we met."

"Maybe they didn't want the Darknesses to catch them. I'm sure we'll meet up with one of them soon." Like Vriska.

In Zach's personal world, the boy was wearing a blue dress and blue hat, and his backseat was that of a carriage. Next to him, Maddy was in a yellow dress and seemed to be pregnant. A green prairie scrolled by outside the window. "The marmalade's going to look lovely this year, Madeline."

"Oh, I know, Zerina! Moi baby's just jumping for jelly! Oi can feel 'im kicking!"

"Aww, let me feel, dearest!" Zach moved his ear beside Maddy's belly.

"GIMME SOME MARMALADE!!" General Shy Guy burst out of the belly and kicked Zach off the ship.

"Maddy, since when do you go along with Zach's shtick?" Cheren asked.

"Since I wanted him to stop turning my room into Chickens Inc.."

"Cheren, he's still falling." Panini mentioned. "I know he's Zach, but… ya think we should catch him?"

"Okay. As long as he doesn't turn my car into a wagon again." Cheren drove downward and sped up to catch up with Zach.

"He's about to fall into that big blue planet!" Maddy pointed. Beyond Zach was a planet as blue as the sky, complimented by huge white clouds.

"Zach, can't you do something to slow down?!"

"Zach Murphy sets a world record for being the first guy in a jacket to dive a grand-spanking seventy-million feet in blank, weightless sky!" an unseen announcer called.

"I realize now… what my true life's purpose is!" Zach spoke with tears in his eyes. "To prove to all the children that… THE SKY IS A BALLOON THIEF!"

"WE ALREADY KNOW THAT!!" Maddy screamed.

"Give back my b'oooooons…!" And Zach was lost within the planet's sky.

"Master Cheren, I am detecting traces of magical energy akin to Truman Kirman, or 'Zorc' as he is now known." Fi spoke from Cheren's sword. "There is a 75% chance some of his cards have landed on this world. Conveniently, they seem to be located in close vicinity."

"Sounds like an adventure to me. Girls, prepare for landing!"

When the R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R. entered the planet's atmosphere, there was no solid ground to land on except for millions of floating clouds or platforms. Otherwise, the planet was basically a region of space that was sky-blue. The kids landed on a round platform with grass, stepping out to breathe the planet's atmosphere. "A big ball of sky in space. Shame we didn't bring Fybi." Panini said.

"What's this place called, you think?" Maddy asked.

"Skaia." answered Cheren.

"How do you know?"

"Vriska mentioned it once."

"Oh. Lucky you." Pan remarked.

"But I have no idea what it's like. Boys first!" Cheren ran forth. Maddy and Pan exchanged glances before chasing. (Play "Sky Station Galaxy 1" from Mario Galaxy 2!)

Stage F-1: Skaia

Mission: Collect cards and find Zach!

Cheren used the Double Hookshots to grapple his way across floating, slow-spinning targets, which ended above a higher foothold. From here, Cheren leapt off and opened his Pirate Sail to glide to a very distant platform. Panini was charging fire in her feet, and with Maddy riding her shoulders, the rabbit-haired made a great hop off their standpoint and across the sky chasm, passing Cheren midair on their way to his destination. "Can't ya fly, boy?!" Pan yelled.

The girls waited a moment before he decided to land. "At least I still value old traditions."

"VEEEEEEN!" A Mega Venusaur erupted out of the ground, slashing bramble vines that the three nimbly jumped.

"So, Pokémon live here, too?" Maddy wondered.

"I think this one works for the Darknesses. Don't hold anything back when fighting these monsters!" Cheren shot Fire Arrows at the monster's bud, the Venusaur roaring with anger as it blasted Solar Beam, which Cheren deflected to the sky with the Mirror Shield. A bramble vine came for Panini, who conjured purple fire to grab and hold it in place, then did the same with another vine. Maddy then leapt onto the Venusaur's head and began choking it with Haki arms until it fell down. Panini lit her foot with yellow flames and kicked it in the nose—the Venusaur winced at the stench. Afterwards, Cheren knocked it out with a Shield Bash.

"Where did you learn to change the color of your fire?" Maddy asked.

"Wendy introduced me to a boy called Romeo. He uses magic to change the effects of his firebending and I used the Sun Chi Lantern to borrow his chi."

"Here comes another one!" Cheren cautioned when a Mega Dragonite swooped down, its scales shinier and its teeth sharper. Cheren blocked its bladed Dragon Tail with his God Tier-imbued sword, keeping the dragon in place so Maddy could jump up and punch his head into the ground. She followed with a string of punches, dodging before the Dragonite coughed sapphire flames, which Panini grabbed and willed to dissolve into smoke. The dragon could get nothing else out before Maddy flipped and kicked its head, KOing it.

It was then Maddy's Observation Haki kicked in. "Up there!" She pointed to a small staircase across the platform. "I feel somebody's presence!"

Cheren curiously hopped up the stairs and found one of Zorc's cards on the ground. He picked it up and saw a brown-haired Japanese girl in a yellow shirt with a green stripe was trapped inside. The name on the card read, Chihiro. "Wh-Where am I?!" Chihiro asked with fear in her voice. "I'm still trapped in the card! Are you going to hurt me?!"

"Calm down, we're here to help you." Cheren replied as the other two came up to see.

"Sapphire said if we break the cards, they'll be freed." Maddy reminded.

"I know… but I think we should hold off until we have clarification. Besides, they'll be easier to carry like this."

"Hey, what're you- mmmp!" Chihiro was placed into Cheren's pocket.

"Better hope ruffling the cards has no nasty side effects." Pan mentioned.

Their next route took place up scattered floating black or white, rotating cubes. Panini made use of her terrific jumping to kick up to and kick off from block to block, while Cheren had to resort to flying and carrying Maddy. From the last block, Panini used purple fire to swing a line of Fluffy Beetles (Buzzy Beetles made of cloud), and this would bring her to a large floating piece of land designed like a chessboard with hills.

Giant chess horses with unicorn horns appeared out of darkness, baring the Heartless symbol, so their allegiance was clear. The Chess Knights jumped toward the kids and made shockwaves, and when one came down on Maddy, she threw her Haki fists up to protect herself. She then back-flipped out, leapt up to grab the Knight's head, and slam it against the ground repeatedly until it was destroyed. Panini wrapped purple fire around two Chess Knights' heads, then proceeded to tie the two ropes together, causing the Knights to fall when they tried to bounce.

After Cheren slayed the remaining Heartless with God Tier, a Mega Rapidash appeared; it had a longer, sharper horn and giant bat wings. The Rapidash glided around the chess field and covered it with flames. Cheren worked on dispersing the flames with Ice Arrows while Maddy targeted the Pokémon with Conqueror's Haki. The Rapidash fell to the ground, but it was strong enough to keep standing. Cheren shocked it with a Light Arrow and Maddy punched it unconscious.

Cheren flew around the chess field in search of cards, and he discovered two Shy Guys tugging on one. "It's mine!"

"No, it's mine!"

"Master Zorc will praise me!"

"He'll praise you like last week's turkey!"

"Shy Guys?" Cheren cocked a brow. "Are they… working for the Darknesses, too?" He flew down and asked them, "Hey, can I see that card you're looking at?"

"It's Cheren! C'mon, Johnson, let's get him!"

Cheren flicked a gold flame at either of them and KO'ed them. The card blew over for him to catch. The person inside was a box-headed boy with a red shirt named Mac. "Thanks for saving me." he said as he unruffled his hair and shirt. "I'll never be able to collect trading cards the same way again."

"I feel ya there. Stay in here for a bit." He placed Mac in his pocket.

"Hi there! What's your name?"

"Chihiro…"

The trio found a strip of the chessboard sloping down and chose to follow it. It led them to a region of black and white blocks that were blinking on and off at second-long intervals. "Are you girls fast enough?" Cheren smirked, jumping the blinking blocks with little trouble. Maddy and Pan followed him, but the latter was briefly confused by the timing, so she slipped and fell. "GOT YA!" Cheren flew down and grabbed her. "Don't die now, Panini, we only just got here!"

"For your information, your fire was in my face!"

"Sure it was, Panini. You feel up for getting that card?" He pointed to a card floating above a distant blinking block.

"Of course Ay can! Put me down and I'll show you!" Cheren set her down on a stable platform. Panini estimated how much time it would take to reach that platform, and determined when she could land when it was still visible, then leap back. Panini made the jump successfully, grabbed the card, and made it back. The person on the card was a tall yellow rabbit.

"Whuh? Where in blazes am I? And what kind of mutant rabbit are you?"

"A way better rabbit than ya!" Panini shoved the ungrateful animal into her pocket.

The kids jumped up a stairway of blinking blocks before it brought them to a sea of floating springs. The only way to get across, of course, was to keep bouncing. A squad of Mega Pidgeots flew overhead with Elite Heartless Soldiers riding and blasting machineguns. Cheren flew up and used Soul Surge to deal quick, precise hits against the Pokémon, then burned the Heartless in flames of light. When the Pidgeots fell, the springs constantly bounced their unconscious bodies up and down. "Isn't that a fun way to sleep." Maddy remarked. "Hey, there's another card!"

A Pogo Guy was using a pogo stick to bounce on some springs. It saw Maddy coming and took measures to avoid her. "I wanna Conqueror's Haki you… but where's the fun in that?" Maddy sensed the route he would take and followed a path of springs that would catch up. She grabbed the pogo stick out from under the Shy Guy, watched him fall on a spring, then swiped his card. The card contained a yellow two-tailed fox named Tails.

"That guy was more spring-happy than Sonic. Say, come to think of it, who are you, Miss?"

"A girl who's gonna get tired of hearing that." With that, Tails was stuffed in her pocket.

The trio bounced their way to a linear path of springs, but a Sky Muncher (a winged monster composed of block parts and giant teeth) chased them and ate the springs. They kept a good distance away from it, but when the springs led up like a tower, the Muncher flew straight up and continued to eat springs. "Ugh! You know what, you're a pain." With that, Maddy used Conqueror's Haki to make the monster faint. Their journey up the springs concluded peacefully as they reached a platform.

From here, they could see a rotating round platform with a circle of Anti Guys. "What are they… doing?" asked Cheren. (End song.)

The Anti Guys were playing a happy accordion song and dancing around a small gold statue of Bill's true form, sat on a pedestal with dynamites. There was another card leaning on the statue. One of the Shy Guys held up a lighter, then tossed it to another, then another Shy Guy. "Some kind of weird ritual." Panini observed.

"Do you really think destroying the card frees the prisoner?" Maddy wondered.

"Even I'm starting to question it." Cheren said. "Panini, can you grab that card with your purple fire? Me and Maddy will fight the Shy Guys when they gang up on us."

"Aye!" Panini lashed her purple fire rope and caught the card. The enraged Anti Guys scrambled to hop up and attack, but Cheren rapidly swung his blade while Maddy entered Haki Fury to throw rapid punches. The Shy Guys were thrown off the platform in 10 seconds.

"Never wanna fight on a small space again." Maddy stated.

"Could somebody tell me what the frick is going on?!" yelled the person in the card, a green-haired boy named Russel Thrush. "First this little brat walks up and turns me into a trading card, then these weird sock things do a weird song and dance. You kids better not sell me at a shop."

"You're welcome." Cheren put him away. "We still need to find Zach…"

"Um… Found him." Maddy pointed.

The ritual area had transformed into a dark room with a rectangular table. Zach was having a meeting with Shy Guys in fedora hats, passing the lighter around to ignite cigars… which were actually the dynamite fuses. "Boys, we got a situation on our hand." General Guy said. "The chipmunks still haven't paid us back for the genetic splicing. We need the money to buy tickets for the ukulele concert. Gentlemen… it's time to resort to brash, unnecessarily violent action."

"I don't think so." Zach stated. His faced opened, exposing a chipmunk.

"OH! Lord Munk!!"

"I'm afraid I got the jump on you this time, boys." Lord Munk spoke squeakily. "I hate to cut this meeting short, but I've got another bad movie to make. C-ya."

With that, the dynamite fuses completely burned. The room was engulfed in flames, but Zach coolly walked away from the explosion in the background. "Bravo." Cheren and friends clapped semi-proudly. "Bravo."

"DANG IT, ZACH!" General Guy bounced in front of him, soot-covered. "Why you dang blowin' me up in there, too?!"

"Don't lie to me, General. I KNOW you took my lollipop when I was three."

"How many times do I gotta tell you?! IT WAS A GUMDROP!!" The general threw a powerful punch against the air.

"-chaaaan…" An Invisibility Cloak fell off a Mega Hitmonchan wielding spike gloves. "Hitmon…chan." It was KO'ed by General's punch.

"Ooookay… that's a thing." Cheren shrugged.

"These Shy Guys ain't do a thing when I tell them to." General Guy said. "I reckon they're from other worlds. Musta been sent to grab the cards for the Darknesses' sake."

"Even after we just got here, it didn't take them long to spread their forces. Fi, what's the card situation?"

"I am sensing more magical cards across the clouds. Master, I can remotely summon the R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R. to your location from anywhere, should you ever wish to leave."

"Are we really gonna just fly around this sky and look for CARDS for a jillion hours?!" Panini complained.

"Well, until we find the trolls or vice-versa, we don't have much to do. Besides, it's a pretty place."

"Fine, but let's use the R.O.A.D.S.T.A.R.." Maddy requested. "We'll cover more ground- er, sky that way."

Their adventure across Skaia continued in the comfort of Cheren's flying car. So far, they found two more cards, one holding a Toad from Mushroom Kingdom and another with a boy named Talo. "Raaaaahhhh!" A Mega Charizard was rocketing down like a meteor from directly above. Cheren ejected Maddy out of her seat, and she entered Haki Fury to land a fearsome fist into the Charizard's mouth. The dragon was flung to a cloud, unconscious.

Maddy disabled her Fury and plopped back into the car. "Why are there so many Mega Pokémon here?" Panini wondered. "Ya know they can't even stay Mega without a trainer. And Ay'm a Pokénerd, so I should know."

"The Darknesses must've done something." Cheren figured. "Maybe it's why Team Rocket's on their side."

They flew in silence for a few minutes. The sky was calm and vibrant in this region. "Hm hm… You know, flying out here like this, seeing these weird planets… I feel like Dad in his old adventures."

"That's only fitting, I imagine." Panini shrugged. "This is probably our last mission. We're finishin' the way your father started."

"Yeah… Hey, when we defeat English and restore all the worlds… this universe might be able to exist along with ours, and we could visit each other."

"You really think so?" Maddy replied.

"It's a thought. But if it does, I think it should have a better name than 'First Dimension.' I think we should call it… New Galaxia!"

"Hee hee hee hee!" Panini giggled.

"What? I'm saying this is like a second Galaxia. It's like… New Jersey. …In a couple ways."

"Ah know, Ah know. But, it's just… ya still sound like a boy in a make-believe world. But not in a bad way, it's… well, it's cute."

"Hmph. Then, it's settled." Cheren smiled proudly. "When we create the New World, this place will be called New Galaxia!"

"Okay, seriously, what the f**k are you kids talking about?" Russel asked from Cheren's pocket.

"Uh, we're just discussing how we're gonna make the universe."

"…Ok, that's cool. I make a universe every other month or so."

"You know, I kinda just thought of something." Maddy spoke. "Do you think that Aizen messed with Sapphire's powers? Like he did… to me back then?"

"So, maybe breaking the cards won't work…" Cheren deduced. "I'm going to call the others." He activated the intercoms. "Operatives, this is Numbuh 3621. We found a few cards, but no sign of the trolls or Firstborn on our end. I don't know if you have, yet, but if you locate any cards, I advise against not destroying them right away. We need clarification if that can really free them."

"This is Sector IC, understood." George's voice spoke.

"Gotcha, Cuz." Anthony responded.

"Also, I've been thinking of calling this place New Galaxia. Whaddya think?"

"Real creative, Cherry." Chris remarked.

"Hmm… I can get into that! New Galaxia…" Nagisa's voice sounded with wonder. "It's like we're living history…"

"I'm down with it!" Bon Clay Jr. cheered.

"Can we maybe talk about it AFTER saving our friends?" Karin questioned.

With Sector W7, somewhere else

"Oi, pipe down, Cherry-chan!" Chimney shouted. "We're in the middle of something!"

Mocha was standing on the roof of the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N., her feet strapped to keep her from flying off. Heartless ships were surrounding them and shooting laser bullets, but Mocha swung her Haki arms to swat the mini projectiles away. The giant spread her arms apart and clapped them with enough force to destroy the ships with shockwaves.

Pods crashed onto the train as Heartless emerged. Aisa flew overhead and bombarded the monsters with arrows. "You freaks think you can beat a Shandian AND an Amazon warrior?!"

Another pod crashed on the train as Mocha readied herself. …She gasped when the one to emerge was not a Heartless, but Xehanort. "It's…It's one of them."

Xehanort sported an evil grin at the giantess, pleased by her frightened expression. Despite the huge difference in size, Mocha clearly believed Xehanort's powers were superior. "Mocha!" Aisa landed on the train and blasted light arrows from her Bow Dial, but Xehanort swiftly deflected the arrows with quick Keyblade swings. "HYAH!!" Aisa leapt and KICKED forth, her feet sharp as arrows, and fast enough to push Xehanort against the pod.

"Impressive footwork… but still no match!" Xehanort cast a dark beam and knocked Aisa on her back. Dark flames brimmed on her body and prevented her from standing, and when Xehanort leapt to finish her, Mocha CLAPPED the man in her hands.

"AAH!" Xehanort sliced the hands and escaped, narrowing his gaze to Mocha's strapped ankles. Her heart almost stopped as memories of CP10 flashed through her, and Xehanort seemed intent on severing her legs.

"Heh heh!" Xehanort shot a beam from the Keyblade and made the metal straps disappear. "I doubt you're very coordinated." Xehanort leapt to slash her feet—Mocha stepped back and stumbled on the train, taking the fall.

"MOCHAAA!" Aisa flew down after her.

"Now for the Light…" Xehanort cut open a roof hatch and entered the train, summoning Heartless to his side. Nothing obstructed him on the way to the back of the train, where he discovered a small studio run by April Goldenweek.

"You know, it's hard to make a good drawing if you keep shaking the train."

"Your voyage ends here, girl." Xehanort approached calmly.

"Nope." April whipped out her own Keyblade, cast a beam at a painting of a prairie, and jumped inside.

"You think that will save you from-" He attempted to climb in the canvas, but a solid 2-D barrier blocked him. "So, she can use her Keyblade to make portals out of paintings. But can she get out in one piece?!" The Darkness sliced all the paintings in half.

"APRIL!!" cried a tiny voice. Xehanort turned, seeing a curious tiny girl riding a blue rabbit past the doorway. "She worked really hard on those paintings! You have NO respect for a girl's art!" ("Gyom!")

"Hm hm ha ha ha hah!" He laughed at such an adorable sight. "Your friend made a foolish mistake in trying to outrun me. Now, I have to wonder… what an adorable Heartless you will make." His Heartless focused their attention on Aeincha.

"Oh, yeah?! Well, I've got news for you, Baldy!" Aeincha grabbed a pair of scissors from her back like a sword. "I am one heck of a barber!" She snapped the scissors.

Suddenly, the train car detached, and Aeincha waved as Xehanort drew farther away. "We sure outsmarted him, huh Gonbe?" ("Gyom-gyom!" the rabbit cheered.)

But when they turned around, Xehanort appeared out of a dark portal, standing over them imposingly. "Afraid not."

"YIKES!" Gonbe began hopping about when Xehanort stabbed his Keyblade around the floor. Eventually, Xehanort decided to freeze the floor, Gonbe slipping on his back while Aeincha slid away.

"GOOOM-!" Gonbe was stabbed by the Keyblade.

"GONBE!" Aeincha cried when Gonbe's heart came out. His body vanished, and the heart became a rabbit Heartless with a mouth made of spikes. The Heartless turned to Aeincha with ravenous eyes.

Mocha was still falling through space and saw Aisa chasing her. "Mocha, open wide!" She put a blue Skypian Apple in her bow and launched it to the giant's open mouth. Mocha shrunk down to mouse size, then Aisa used a Vacuum Dial to bring her back. "Aeincha's in trouble! Get up there and save her!" Aisa gave her a red apple as large as Mocha was now. She put them both in her bow, pulled back, and the second Mocha took a bite was when she launched.

"GRAH!" Xehanort grunted when the train car shook. It was tilted back as Mocha's giant purple-brown eye peered into the doorway.

Aeincha let herself fall and land on Mocha's eye, but was still too small to make her blink. Aisa flew by to grab her friend. Mocha ripped the car off the train and began squeezing both ends. "Wait, Gonbe's still in there!" Aein yelled. "He's been turned into a monster!"

"I can't let this guy escape!"

However, Xehanort simply jumped out a window. "Then you'll have to try harder than that!" He summoned a horde of Keyblades and channeled them into Mocha's eyes.

"Sector W7, is everything all right over there?" Cheren asked via intercom.

"We're bein' attacked by one of the Darknesses!" Chimney yelled back.

"What?! Which one?!"

"I don't freaking know their names—it's the bald one! Maybe his name's Baldy!"

"Is April safe?"

"Yah, April escaped. We're trying to stall him."

"Do I need to send another sector to back you up?"

"No, we can handle it! Honest!"

"Are you sure? Even with Mocha, these guys are too strong to take lightly."

"If we stay split up, the other Darknesses will be split up, too, right? Just stay calm and let us handle it!"

"But Chimney-"

"Look, it'll be way easier to beat these guys if we had the Firstborn, so maybe those guys should focus on finding them, ya?! Just let us distract this loser, you got more important things to do!!"

"Chimney… ugh… fine."

Chimney viewed the camera terminal and saw Mocha hurl Xehanort several meters away. She smirked, targeting the Darkness and launching a swarm of fireworks. Xehanort saw the small projectiles coming and tried to deflect one back—it exploded into a dark-pink goop that solidified over his weapon. He summoned more Keyblades to block the others, but they were swallowed in more colored versions of the goop, and one was lucky enough to bind his other hand to his leg.

While this was transpiring, Mocha swung a powerful Haki punch into Aisa, who used an Impact Dial to absorb the force inside, keeping steady despite its strength. Afterwards, Mocha grabbed Aisa and threw her in Xehanort's direction, headfirst so that she could aim her Dial at him. "This is for you!" Aisa planted the Dial against his chest and pressed it. The blast forced blood out of his mouth and sent him whooshing across the stars.

Sector L's C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.

"Poor Chimney." Melody said to herself. "Sigh… Well, if she insists."

"But we can't ignore our friends if they're in trouble!" Wendy stated. "Melody, we have to help them!"

"Wendy, it's too risky." Carla replied. "I'm certain Sector W7 was being targeted because they had one of the Seven Lights. Seeing as Jessie is with us, it would do us no good to put two Lights in danger."

Wendy glanced at the Indian boy farther back in the bus. "Sigh… This is all so much. They're our friends. I hate how we have to split up like this."

"Oh, that's right… your sector didn't come, did they?" Sugar realized.

"No. They must be so worried about me. They're counting on me to help save the universe, but if I can't even help my fellow operatives, how can I-"

"Hey, if you're gonna cry, step outside. I just polished." Melody stated.

"I agree." Jessie replied. "I'm younger than you are and I'm way less bitchy."

"We just have to do what Chimney said and locate the Firstborn." Carla followed. "That'll give us an advantage over the Darknesses. Be patient, Wendy."

"Yeah… you're right. But where do we begin to look for the Firstborn?"

"When I placed Meloetta in the Egg Chamber, we were on some kind of food world." Sugar mentioned.

"And Manaphy's was on a water fountain world." Melody said. "I guess if we find either one, we'll land there."

Skaia

"Cheren, you don't have to worry about W7." Maddy said confidently. "Trust me, Mocha isn't gonna lose to some bald guy. She's an honorary Amazon."

"And I'm an honorary god, but even I'm worried about fighting these guys."

"Maybe the difference is Mocha being a girl." Panini smirked.

"Cheren, look!" Maddy yelped. Cheren stopped the ship when she indicated an orange hooded figure fly past underneath with butterfly wings. "I'm feeling a psychic aura from that person!"

"A psychic aura? Fi, take the wheel." Cheren went God Tier and hopped out, flying after the hooded one.

The figure flew farther and farther away, forcing Cheren to brighten his flames and move faster. "HEY! HOLD ON A SECOND!"

The person came to a halt and floated upright. She turned to Cheren, who gasped: she was a gray-skinned girl with glasses, a sun on her hoodie, orange horns, and seven pupils in her left eye. "…V…Vriska?"

She looked just like she had described herself, and her left eye was a dead giveaway. "…Who are you?" she asked.

Cheren blinked. "Uh… I'm Cheren. You chatted with me during the voyage."

"What voyage?"

"The… On the Noah. You mean you don't remember me?"

"Nope. …PSYCHE!" Vriska smacked him and flew higher.

"H-Hey!" Cheren smirked and flew after. Panini, Zach, and Maddy simply watched from below as they swerved around the sky like children playing Tag.

"Aww, did you want me to keep up the act?" Vriska asked. "Good old unnecessary long-distance-friendship-amnesia drama?"

"We don't need anymore complic8ions." Cheren shook his head.

"Uh, 8oy, did you just steal my type??" :::: ?

"I'm only trolling you." :icontrollfaceplz:

"HA HA ha ha!"

"O-kay… they talk like they've known each other forever." Maddy said. Panini stared at them suspiciously.

"I'm so glad I finally found you, Vriska. Does this mean the other trolls are nearby?"

"Not exactly, 8ut I'll take you to them now if you want. Our 8ase isn't far off."

"Well, sure, but… we're kind of looking for these cards. See, one of the Darknesses-"

"Oh, we already know a8out that. I found the rest of the cards on this planet." She drew out five cards of confused prisoners.

"Master Cheren, I can confirm the nonexistence of any forgotten cards in this area." Fi said.

"So, let's head on up!" Vriska turned and floated higher. "Race ya?"

"Yeah!" Cheren blasted up in the direction she was facing.

"Wrong way." Vriska blasted up in the opposite direction.

"YOU TRICKSTER!" Cheren shot after.

"Those milkshakes are MINE!" Zach roped a team of blue jays in pilot masks, racing with them.

"Well, look, Panini, he found a new rival!" Maddy joked. "Let me know if you need help tearing her skin off."

"…" Panini remained silent as Fi drove the ship to follow them.

Planet Emera

Bill Cipher walked out of a giant portal opened by Thanos' Space Stone. The Mad Titan walked out alongside Yellow Diamond. "It's… Emera." The empress gasped. The landscape glittered with gem fields and gem mountains. Amethysts, Serpentines, Emeralds, all kinds of sentient Gems populated it…

A Ruby whose gem was in its left eye was the first to spot them. "You guys! Look! It's Yellow Diamond!"

"Yellow Diamond?!" a Serpentine exclaimed.

"QUEEN YELLOW D, YO' BACK!" an Amethyst cheered.

♪ "My Diamond, we're so glaaaaad!" ♪ A Pink Pearl danced on her toes. "The Diamonds are all gone, but our lovely Yellow liiiives."

"My Diamond, may I have your autograph??" =3 A Peridot excitedly held up a holo-card.

"Awwww. Isn't it touching? A real family reunion." Bill said. "DON'T JUST ogle Yellow Diamond like a gallery exhibit, start building warships, forge weapons, GET TO WORK!"

"YES, YELLOW PEARL!" The Gems saluted and zipped off in different directions.

"Impressive loyalty." Thanos observed. "You must be a very feared ruler."

"And very powerful, too." Bill floated up to Diamond's face. "Powerful enough to steal the energy from her superior!"

"How do you know about that?!" Yellow gasped.

"Lord English saw it all happen. I know what he knows, and he knows what I know. He also knows that only you are capable of absorbing the other two as well."

"You want me to absorb the other Diamonds?!"

"Don't you understand, Topaz? The only reason your empire lost, why you were defeated, was because of its weak rulers. And its rulers were weak because they operated separately. But if you all come together, you'll become the ultimate being! The most powerful in this universe! You can obliterate all your enemies singlehandedly!"

"I see…" Yellow Diamond drew the card where Sapphire remained imprisoned. "But even if we have Blue Diamond… what about Pink Diamond? She was destroyed by Rose Quartz, who stole her power. I have no idea where she is now."

"Rose Quartz gave birth to a powerful creature named Diancie. You must have noticed the little rock creature beside that beaver child."

"Are you saying that creature… possesses Pink Diamond's power?"

"She does. But recovering it will be an easy feat. All we need is help from you, Thanos. Your Power Stone can drain the energy from Diancie's body and give it to Yellow Diamond!"

"If that is what you wish." Thanos made a light smirk. An ultimate being… hm hm hm! He internally laughed at the thought of these Diamonds being stronger than him. "But what of that child in the card? Is she truly the Blue Diamond you speak of?"

"Blue Diamond was an extremely powerful psychic." Yellow Diamond answered. "This Sapphire was forged and grown by her own two hands, infused with her power. But Blue Diamond died by the Apocalypse, so the remainder of her essence transferred to the Sapphire. Then the trolls captured her and banished her to the New Universe with their machine. Along with a Ruby that failed to rescue her."

"Her memories were lost when she landed in the New World." Bill explained. "But Thanos' Mind Stone can restore them. When Sapphire remembers who she is, she will remember her power. All you have to do after that is convince her to fuse with you."

"You're wrong! All of you!" Sapphire shouted. "I'm not Blue Diamond! And even if I was, I would NEVER work with you!"

"I expected as much." Bill shrugged. "Thanos, after you awaken her true memories, you should probably wipe out the ones she had of her life on Earth. No KND, no Ruby, just her and her Diamond!"

"NOW you're making it interesting!" Thanos shot the card with the Soul Stone and freed Sapphire.

"NO, PLEASE-!" Sapphire was struck by a ray from the Mind Stone.

Yellow Diamond's playing her role beautifully! Bill's sharp teeth stretched like a spiked crescent. The Diamonds are the highest authority in this universe! So, if Lord English controls them… our reign will truly be unstoppable!

With Sector L

"Melody, look! We're coming up on a blue planet!" Danny pointed.

The operatives came up front and observed a planet in which parts of its very surface were rising up and down like waves. "It's an ocean!" Melody knew.

"No ocean could have waves that huge!" Carla argued. "At least not so big we can see them from outer space."

Hum… hum hum…

"!" Melody perked up. "Guys, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Wendy asked.

HUM… hum HUUUM…

"It's Manaphy! Manaphy's on that planet! Danny, bring us in!"

"What makes you think he's there?"

"Uh- gee, I dunno—'cause it's a WATER planet?? Sheesh, where's your better judgment?"

"Alright, no one has better judgment than you. We're going in!" The News Bus dove down to the planet's atmosphere. Little did they know that the King Dutchman had been watching from far away.

"Revenge will be mine-ah… Princess Melody."