Harry
*The automobiles stood no chance against the well-practiced teamwork. As they watched the hearts shroud in darkness and disappear, however, the flow of Brad's memories begin to accelerate...*



*Two-lane State Highways signified towns. One lane signified areas humans didn't bother with. It was such a big world, and despite his size, he was so small in it.*

*He was behind someone. The dashed yellow line to his left jogged leisurely. This person was too slow. He put on his left turn signal, then began to pass...*

*Something large filled his vision. Larger than him. Larger than his car. Larger than his life. Two headlights ran towards him, blaring the most terror-inducing noise he's ever heard. He swerved to the left.*
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*The rest of the drive was, thankfully, uneventful. Four-lane highways for the occasional city, but no more incidents like with the truck. He stepped out of his car into the night sky and stared at the beach. After three days of driving, the water was beautiful. The world was big, but now that he'd seen the other side of it, it felt just that much smaller.*

*He took out his phone, tapped a photo of a man with a square face, blonde hair, and a cowboy hat, then held it to his ear.*

*"I did it." His own voice was tired, but prideful.*

*"Good job, son." A rough drawl blessed his ears. Commanding, but understanding. The voice of a man who wanted him to be the best he could be. "How do ya feel?"*

*"Exhausted," Brad complained. "Couldn't I have taken four days?"*

*"Sure. But I figured you could do it in three, and here y'are. Now take a look out at the ocean."*

*Brad complied. He stared into the ocean, drinking in the reflection of the stars on it.*

*"You've driven the length of this world. You've explored more of 'er than most folks. Granted, you've still only explored a fraction of 'er, but this is still important to broaden your horizons.*

*"What's the weather like over there?"*

*"Uhh..." Brad thought for a moment. "Clear?"*

*"Good, didn't screw us over. Look up at the sky. At those stars. Each star in that sky is another world like this one."*

*Another world? Nah, this was probably a-*

*"I'm not bein' metaphorical, by the way. This is entirely literal. Each of those stars is a world. A few are bigger than this one, but most are smaller. Some ain't got our technology. Some've got magic beyond... Well, I'd say your wildest dreams, but you've got some pretty wild dreams."*

*Other worlds? Brad knew this guy was kinda strange, but not crazy.*

*"Once you get back, we can start preparing you to visit 'em."*

*His eyes widened. There was no way... But he hadn't lied to him so far.*

*"Okay."*

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*"Attaboy. Get some good rest. I'll see you in a few days." The man hung up.*
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*The two-lane road stretches out before them. The beach, unimpeded, calls to the duo. On the beach is a dock stretching out above the water, and next to the dock is a shape resembling a boat...*
Julie
*The wave of nausea that flooded him was intense, as were the memories he recalled. Brad visibly stumbled backwards, disconcertingly silent. His usual wacky noises and absurd motions were absent- no, he just wobbled a bit as he tried to gain his footing.* "Ah, shit, geez..."

*He groaned, rubbing at his face as he tried to stabilize. The smells, the sights... The darkness. This deep feeling of dread sunk its fangs into him, and Brad struggled to stand upright. A voice echoed in his mind, one that was not his own. 'Bradley, Bradley...' Just hearing the name made him want to throw up. He clenched his Keyblade tighter.*

"Other worlds, huh...?" *He said silently. For a moment, the pavement beneath his feet feeling just the same as it did back then.* "Guess you were right after all. Ya always were, except..."

*He straightened up finally, before beginning to walk towards the beach, towards the boat.* "Let's keep goin'." *Brad murmured, clearly troubled by something.*
Kathy
Raising his hand, Icidro rounds on Brad as he goes to high five the man— Only to drop his spear as he raises the other, hovering over his friend in concern. Groaning and doubling over? Icidro didn't know what all that meant, considering he couldn't see Brad's expression through his helmet.

"Brad? Bradamante? Amigo?" Icidro urges, as he gives the man a once-over, "Speak to me, you didn't get hurt, did you—?"

Trailing off there, Icidro all but freezes as he watches Brad murmur to himself and stand. Lowering his hands, slowly, Icidro turns his gaze toward the sea as well, following what he could only assume to be Brad's gaze. Shifting his stance, Icidro's spear teleports back to his grasp as he moves to follow.

"Oy, you going to tell me what's going on?"
Roland
Information: Both +500 EXP pre-mults, +25000 Munny
Harry
*The Realm of Darkness has so much darkness it made the Information Bar late. Boy that's just crazy*
Julie
"It's fine." *Brad didn't slow.* "Remembered something." *He sped up, actually, as if trying to escape the topic.* "I'm fine, I just..."

*The stars. Those million motes of light that twinkled above them. The way they bounced off the ocean. Like something shitty out of an anime or old game. At the time, it sounded crazy. It was literal gibberish. But here he was. Here he was...*

"I don't know." *Brad brought a hand to his head again, tightening his other hand's grip on his Keyblade.* "But I feel like if we wait around, I might lose it."

"There's something important here..."
Harry
*As the boys get closer, they notice an apparatus on the back of the small aluminum boat. It's a motorboat. If they get even closer, they'll notice the front has a green panel with a digital arrow perpetually pointing in a direction, like a compass.*

*They also notice, as they get closer to the sea, that it's not normal water. It's a dark, murky goop with a toxic scent. Falling in would be a bad idea.*
Kathy
"... You did? Oh, that's wonderful! But, do you not—" Trailing off, Icidro gestures to Brad, and the distinctly worrying non-sounds he'd been making, _"That_ sounded troubling, amigo. I won't pry if you do not wish to speak of it, but... Did you remember the bad parts, before the good?"

Speeding up suited Icidro just fine as he keeps the pace. But, if Brad said he was fine, then that's all he can really ask at this moment, right? And that last remark— No, they should follow that lead.

At the sight of the boat, however, Icidro cants his head at the green light. Turning around, Cid cranes over his shoulder to look back the way they came.

"Troubling. Someone else has been here— I do not like feeling as if we were expected to find this, Bradamante."

"... Where do you suppose it leads?"
Julie
*Seeing the writhing goop of the black sea, and wondering immediately how it tasted was all it took to properly ground Brad. He took a shuddering breath, letting Cid's questions roll off him. Were those bad memories? Or were they good ones? He could feel it. The absolute disdain that made such a statement worthy of ridicule. The jaded edge of his feelings that thought all of this was just an annoyance, a chore. And the hope. The sparkling, glimmering hope that there might be more to the world than he'd ever thought. Crushed time and time again, imprisoned in ordinary society, where life had no meaning... It still managed to shine. Was that not a good memory?*

*He did not answer. Instead, he focused on the boat.*

"Only one way to find out." *He shrugged in a surprisingly 'Brad' way, and hopped inside. He looked over the controls, and then to Cid.* "Man, sucks that Furo couldn't come. He'd totally crush it here." *Brad gestured to the panel as he spoke.* "Which one do ya reckon is 'go'?" *He murmured, looking to the cabal gyro.*
Kathy
The hint of a dirty look is thrown Brad's way for a half-moment, as it dawns on Icidro that he wasn't getting even a murmur of an answer. Just a short blip of annoyance on the radar, and he was over it. The silence was an answer, in and of itself; One he could understand.

"He would. But I would not wish him here, without protection." Cid admits as he hops onto the boat after Brad, and the troubling view of buttons and levers come into sight. Hooking a hand on his hip, the *Caballero* Nods to himself.

"And, one thing, amigo; he is not the only one who can pilot a gummi ship! The _boats_ I am used to have more rigging and gears, but..." Trailing off, Icidro assumes the controls as he takes Brad's gesture as permission. Well, first should be the ignition, no? That should be... By the steering apparatus.

Hedging his bets, Icidro begins pressing buttons.