Chapter 6
[Insert Clever Title Here]
"What?!" Captain Planet shouted. "Diaboromon has been killed?!"
Will sighed and gave a nod. "Unfortunately. He was a valuable asset. Much more valuable than Leeroy."
The Captain paced back and forth, deep in thought. "Any death is a tragedy."
"Leeroy was too headstrong and cocky." Will pounded his fist on a desk, startling the man sitting behind it. "There is no way he could be compared to Diaboromon!"
Captain Planet turned to his right hand man, a confused look on his face.
"I mean... yes, both deaths are tragic, but there is no point in morning the lost. We need to figure out a new plan."
"Yes, it would seem." He pulled out a folder from a nearby desk and glanced over some files. "We are not dealing with any ordinary six people. They have talent. They are powerful." He turned to the man behind the desk. "Doctor Robotnik, do you have any ideas?"
The doctor stood from the darkness and took a step into the light, his trademark red coat finally being revealed. His mustache was larger than what seemed physically possible and he wore a unique pair of goggles. Though he lacked hair on his head, he made up for it with his IQ of 300.
"I'm glad you asked Captain." He said in his gruff, harsh tone. "I still need a day or two to complete my grand masterpiece, and I cannot say I would be comfortable stepping into the line of fire. Why not send the pony?"
"I don't think that's a good idea." Will interjected.
"Actually," Captain Planet said stroking his chin. "That could work swimmingly."
"Captain please." Will raised his voice, obviously irritated. "If Leeroy couldn't do it, then what makes you think he is any different?"
Captain Planet gave Will a look of authority, trying to remind him of who was in charge.
"I-I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again." He hanged his head and sat down.
The Captain turned his attention to the pony and said, "It's your turn now."
*****
Meanwhile, in a snowy village, a man in a red flame-retardant suit trenched through the white frozen water. His boots sank deep into the snow, hindering his movement, though he pressed on. Surrounding him were numerous wooden buildings with various names and designs. They weren't the sturdiest buildings but they were well-built enough to stand.
After finishing looking around, the Pyro returned to a particular building with a sign that read 'The Three Broomsticks'. As he entered the establishment, he noticed that the others were sitting at an old, worn-out table with three broomsticks hanging on the wall. In front of them rested five glasses of a bubbly, light brown liquid.
The Pyro pulled out a chair and sat down. "Well, did you see anything?" Vinyl asked passing him a glass.
"Mm mm." The Pyro replied.
"Good. Then we haven't been followed." Sephiroth said quietly, taking a sip of his beverage.
"Well, where do we go next?" Vinyl asked the winged one while levitating the glass to her mouth.
"Pyro, did you see anything else out there?"
"Hmmph hmm mm hmmph mm hmmhmm hmm hmmph." He answered, trying to describe the muffled somethings with hand gestures. Most of the others didn't seem to understand him too well.
"A pathway? And where does it lead?" Sephiroth asked. The others shifted their confused faces to Sephiroth rather than their English-impaired friend.
"Mmm. Mmmhmmph mmhmm. Hmmph mm mm mmph hmm hmm hmmph hmm."
"A castle of some sorts? That seems like our best bet. Maybe we can find something there."
"What are we looking for?" Yakko asked. "I don't think a medieval castle has a computer room."
"It's better than staying here drinking... whatever it is we're drinking." Sephiroth commented, looking at his odd drink. "Let's get moving."
"Wait, before we go, I have a question." GLaDOS said. The others turned to her awaiting her question. "Why don't I have a drink?"
They all looked at the drinks, then at her. "Hmm hmm mmph mm mmph." The Pyro mummbled.
"He says 'because you're a potato.'" Sephiroth translated.
"And how come Latisha gets a drink?"
"Mmph hmm hmmph. Hmm hmmphmmph mmph mmhmmhmmph."
"'She's a taco of course. Not a potato,' he says."
GLaDOS metaphysically rolled her eyes and said, "The logic in the current situation is quickly depleting."
*****
The group trudged along through the thick snow. In the distance they could see the castle down the narrow path they followed, and knew that was where they needed to go.
They were silent, all except for Yakko's paddle-ball which he played with perfectly whilst walking. The view of the castle was becoming more and more clear, showing the immensity of the stone structure.
Vinyl Scratch broke the silence, "That castle reminds me a lot of the one in Canterlot." She looked up, reminiscing the times when she had been invited to play. "They kept inviting me back, no matter how many times I nearly destroyed the place."
"You seem to have quite the life." Yakko said, turning his attention away from his repetitive motions though still playing.
"It was pretty exciting." Vinyl said. "I do miss Tavi though. She and I did everything together. I wonder if she misses me too. Or if she even knows I'm gone."
"Who's Tavi?"
"Oh, well her full name is Octavia. She's a pretty darn good musician, just like me."
"And let me guess," GLaDOS spoke up. "She's another pony?"
"No, she's a walnut." Vinyl said dryly. "Of course she's a pony. Where I come from, everypony is a pony."
"Hmmhmm?"
"Well, no. We also have pegasi and earth ponies. Cows and donkeys too."
"An entire world of talking animals." Yakko said. "This is sounding a tad familiar."
Vinyl gave a small sigh. "Now I'm feeling homesick. Don't even know if we'll ever get back to our homes."
"I'm sure we'll get home somehow." GLaDOS encouraged.
"Yeah, listen to the food. I still gotta get back to take care of my siblings." Yakko said.
"There are more like you?" Vinyl questioned, adjusting her sunglasses.
"Eeyup. Wakko is my brother. Think I mentioned him before. Well, he's crazy. He and the Pyro would probably get along real nice."
"Hmm!" The Pyro looked up with excitement that someone would be his friend.
"And my little sister Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III. She's the youngest of our family, and the cutest thing in the world."
"Princess... Ange-booble-what's-her-face?" Vinyl tried to repeat. "Isn't that kind of a mouthful?"
"Not really, but we do call her Dot for short."
"Hmm hmmph mm. Hmmph hmmhmm mmphhmmhmm mm." The Pyro mummbled, looking down.
"What on earth did he even try to say?" GLaDOS rather rudely asked.
"He said 'that sounds nice. I never had any siblings.'" Sephiroth answered from the front of the group.
"Hmm mmmph." The Pyro continued, mumbling in a dialect that most others found annoying.
While he was rambling, Vinyl inched away from the back of the herd and trotted up to Sephiroth. "So this has been some adventure, huh?"
Sephiroth looked down with an unimpressed demeanor. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect to meet any of you." He looked forward again. "Let alone spend this much time with a bunch of idiots... No offense."
Vinyl shrugged. "Eh, it's no biggie. I've been called worse things."
"Truth be told, you're the least idiotic of the group."
"Aw, ya mean it Sephy?"
"As long as you stop calling me 'Sephy'. My name is Sephiroth."
"Not to me it isn't." Vinyl looked up with a grin ear to ear.
With a sigh of defeat, Sephiroth looked down at her and tried to muster a smile. His lip curled a notch, but to no avail.
"So what do you think we'll find at this castle?" Vinyl asked trying to get a better view of the building in front of them.
"Given the things we've found so far..." He too shifted his gaze to the enormous castle. "I have no idea."
"Well whatever is waiting for us, we can handle it."
"What makes you so sure of that?"
"Well we've beaten Leeroy and Diaboromon." She let out a small chuckle. "I'll bet Captain Planet isn't too happy with us."
"That is true. We're probably not his favorite people in the world right now."
"And besides, who could be tougher than them?"
"Don't get too cocky Vinyl Scratch." The castle was closer than it had ever been now. "None of us know what lies inside this castle."
*****
The group arrived at a pair of giant double doors made of wood. They were old and worn, though they still looked sturdy enough. The castle was even bigger now than it looked in the distance, with a field off to the side for sports and numerous towers spreading all throughout the building.
"So..." GLaDOS started. "Should we ring the doorbell?"
"I wonder if anybody even lives here." Sephiroth stroked his chin, admiring the castle.
While they were all trying to decide on a course of action, the Pyro walked right up and knocked on the right door three times. The rest of the group looked at his actions as if he was just a derp, but soon after the doors slowly swung open.
At first they were concerned for stepping into an unfamiliar, and rather intimidating building. But when nobody came to the door or objected to it being opened, they entered.
The castle was made of solid marble and stone, finely cut and placed into walls and pillars. The inside was much more grand and magnificent than the outside, though there wasn't much else besides the pillars. It was mostly just a long hallway with some stairs at the end. There were some doors off to the side, but on the whole it was grand but bland.
"This is it?" Vinyl asked, removing her sunglasses. "It's good but... I expected a bit more."
"I told you we were going the wrong way!" A nagging voice echoed down one of the corridors. "Now we're going in circles!"
"Who said that?" GLaDOS asked.
"Ya know, for a planet devoid of life, this place is pretty populated." Yakko commented.
"Oh, well excuse me, pocket-watch!" An annoying voice replied to the nagging voice. "Maybe you'd like to call the shots!"
"What the-" Sephiroth looked down the nearest corridor.
"Perhaps it would be better! I've lived my entire life in a castle anyways!" The first voice said, becoming a bit louder.
"Did'ja get lost in it often? Cuz ya did a fine job getting us lost here!" The second voice responded.
"Now wait just a minute you... you... rat!"
"Who is it Sephy?" Vinyl asked, joining his gaze down the hallway.
He remained silent. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."