Wounded
Cinderella turned this way and that, her expression fearful as she stared helplessly at the eight purple imps that surrounded her, chittering and squeaking like hideous parodies of her beloved mice, hopping up and down, feinting towards her with their claws.
She had been so happy when she arrived at the palace, so lost in joy at the fact that it had all turned out alright, that her dream was about to come true in spite of everything her stepmother had done to prevent it that she had scarcely noticed that the palace grounds were completely deserted, with not another carriage in sight, nor any guards or footmen in attendance. When the first of these creatures had appeared she had taken it for some kind of an exotic pet, and spoken softly to it, but after it had slashed at her dress with its claws it had become clear that whatever it was it had no desire to be her friend.
And now she was surrounded by eight of these imps, chittering at her, surrounding her, quivering with anticipation to set on her like a pack of dogs upon the hunt which fall upon the terrified fox and rend her into shreds. There was no escape for Cinderella now, every direction she turned she merely saw more of these creatures.
"Who, who are you?" Cinderella murmured, clasping her hands together in front of her. "Why are you doing this?"
If the creatures understood her, they gave no sign of it. They simply chattered and squeaked, and if they had a language it was not one that Cinderella could comprehend.
Cinderella ducked and put her hands over her head, cringing in fright as she saw at least one of the little monsters tense to leap. She closed her eyes.
There was a ringing whooshing sound, followed by a kind of gloopy pop like bubbles bursting in syrup. What there was not was any of the pain that she had expected to feel.
Tentatively, Cinderella opened her eyes and raised her head. What she saw was enough to make her gasp in shock: the demons had all vanished, and standing before her with his back to Cinderella while he faced the closed doors into the palace, was a tall, muscular young man with brown hair elaborately spiked like a hedgehog in an arrangement that must have taken him hours to achieve each day. He wore a plain black tunic, with shorter sleeves than were usual for a gentleman or any other kind of man that she was aware of, leaving one powerful arm exposed though the other was a covered some kind of ornately stylised armour. Crimson crossbelts embraced his chest and back alike, and he wore a pair of tan trousers with incredibly wide legs, that did almost as good a job at hiding his feet from view as did Cinderella's gown.
He carried an ornate blade in one hand, though the size was very large. Cinderella did not have a great deal of experience with swords, but she felt confident in saying that this weapon that he carried was one of a kind; it almost…it almost looked a little like a key.
"I've met you before," Cinderella murmured, and recently too, for it had not been so very long that this young man had come upon her in the forest, sobbing into her arms, over the destruction of her dress and the apparent ruin of all her dreams, and had comforted her in her grief.
Did he follow me here? Did he save me from those things?
Did he follow me to protect me?
Cinderella felt a blush that had nothing to do with the makeup that the fairy godmother's magic had applied spread to her cheeks.
"I'll take care of them," he growled in his deep voice, giving no indication. "You wait right here."
Cinderella picked up the folds of her gown as she tiptoed closer to him. "Please, may I go with you? I so want to get to the ball." Put like that it sounded a little foolish, perhaps, but…oh, she had been waiting years for this, years for some break in the dull, crushing drudgery that her life had become, years for some moment of joy and happiness that could not be snatched away from her at a moment's notice, and now that moment had come she couldn't bear to see it ruined by whatever those impish creatures were. And besides, at the stroke of twelve the spell would be broken and her gorgeous gown would vanish, and who knew it might take for this mysterious man – Cinderella had never caught his name – to return to her and let her know it was safe.
It might be dangerous, going with him, but Cinderella was prepared to take the risk.
Besides, in a strange way she…she trusted him. She felt safe with him, whatever trials lay ahead.
The young man glanced back at her, his eyes as blue as were her own affixing her. She felt certain that he must have divined, or at least guessed, everything that had been going through her mind, because he hesitated for but a moment before he said, "All right. But stay behind me, or you'll get hurt."
Cinderella gave a brief chuckle at his rather awkward gallantry, smiling and nodding her head though she knew that he could see neither of, now that he had looked away from her again.
"You're not worried?" he asked.
"Didn't you tell me it was important to stay strong?" she replied.
"Oh, um…" He hesitated again, looking slightly awkward and uncomfortable with his head bowed, before he glanced backwards towards her again. His features were sharp, his eyes a bright blue, with a sharp chin and fine high cheekbones. He really is quite handsome, Cinderella thought, and felt a little embarrassed for thinking so a moment later.
"I guess I did," he finished.
Cinderella closed her eyes as she allowed herself a momentary giggle at his expense, before picking up the folds of her silver gown in her gloved hands, and waited for him to lead the way.
"So," he said. "You ready?"
"Yes," Cinderella said, and with that simple word he led her in.
He sprang forwards, his keyblade appearing in his hand as he slashed at the unversed clustering around her, making the sweet girl cower in terror of them. Her heart was full of light, he understood that now, and he would not allow these misshapen abominations to harm that.
A couple of quick slashes of his blade was all it took to destroy the whole pack of them, but Terra did not turn to face the girl – Cinderella, he thought her name was. It was…a pretty name, though it lacked the charming simplicity of Aqua it had its own beauty to it, a kind of spindly elegance to it that fitted the girl in the gorgeous gown behind him – but stood with his back to her, facing the palace doors with his keyblade drawn in what he confessed was a slightly self-consciously cool posture. Probably too self-conscious to actually seem either cool or brooding; but then considering how she was dressed it was likely that cool meant something different here, if it meant anything at all.
He had seen her dress when it was created, her silver gown with white flourishes, with those odd pouffy sleeves on the shoulders and the long white gloves. It suited her, certainly, but then to him so had the rags that she had been crying in. If that billowing dress was what people wore in this world, then she probably wouldn't know what to make of the way he was standing.
At least no laughter came, only a cry of, "I've met you before."
She remembers me.
Of course she does, it was only a few minutes ago that we last met.
"I'll take care of them," he declared gruffly. "You wait right here."
He heard her walking towards him. "Please, may I go with you? I so want to get to the ball."
The statement was so strange on its face that he had to look back at her to see if she was serious. What he saw on her face was perfect earnestness…perfect angelic stop that! She meant what she had said. She really did wish to go with him, and brave the perils of the unversed if it meant reaching the ball a little faster.
Terra recalled what he had heard, earlier, about the magic that had given her this dress not lasting for very long. Perhaps she was determined to make the most of the time allotted to her, perhaps she was simply desperate. Perhaps she didn't understand how dangerous the unversed were, and he didn't have to explain it to her. Perhaps she had such faith in his ability to keep her safe.
He would keep her safe; that he vowed. And besides, he rationalised to himself, there was no guarantee that the unversed would not menace her here again once he had gone.
"All right, but stay behind me or you'll get hurt."
He heard her laugh as he turned his attention to the doors once more, though he didn't understand what she was laughing about. Perhaps she really didn't understand the gravity of the situation.
"You're not worried?" he asked.
"Didn't you tell me it was important to stay strong?" she replied.
He had told her that, as it happened, or in as many words. Hearing his words used against him made him stammer for a moment. "Oh, um…" he struggled for a response, trying to work out if a response was needed. He probably should have come up with something more to say, but he was distracted by the shining blue light of her eyes, the fairness of her skin, the pink blush on her cheeks, the stop that! All he managed to say was a rather lame, "I guess I did." A response that rightly set her to giggling at him. He looked away, lest he be distracted by how pretty she looked when she laughed.
"So," he said. "You ready?"
"Yes," Cinderella said, and with that simple word he led her in.
It did not take Cinderella long to realise that she had made a terrible mistake.
Her young man with the ornate sword did his best to protect her, but there were just so many of all these creatures: the little dark purple imps who chattered as they slashed at her, larger green, goblin-like things with sad red eyes and cruel claws like insects that they used to cut at her. Enormous monsters with bloated stomachs that punched at her, or leapt up into the air to land upon the floor with shockwaves that sent her reeling, what looked like walking jars and boots that burned or kicked her.
It was like something out of a nightmare, there were times when she wanted to think that everything that had happened to her up until now was a dream that had become corrupted by a snack eaten too late, that these chirruping monsters were all the product of a bit of cheese gown down the wrong way, but as she felt the blows land upon her she felt as though she would have woken up by now if this had merely been a nightmare of sleep.
Instead it was a waking nightmare, a corruption and perversion of her dream just as it was finally about to come true. Was she so hated by fate that she would not even be allowed one moment of happiness?
Her young man did his best to protect her, swinging his ornate sword valiantly, slicing through the imps…but there were so many of them and as soon as it seemed that he had cut down the last of them more would appear to assail them. Worse, the creatures were intelligent, one or two of them would attack him and lure him away, and then another would sneak up on her and begin slashing or punching or kicking at her until she cried out in pain, calling out piteously for him to please help her. And he came, he always came, no matter the danger that it put him in with foes in front and behind him, he always came to save her when she called…but he could not save her from all of them.
There seemed to be nothing that she could do to help herself. She tried to stay close to him, and they got around him and attacked her. She stayed back, and they attacked her while they were separated. There were times when it seemed she was almost walking into her enemies.
Cinderella scarcely had time to wonder at the fact that they left no scars on her, no tears on her dress; she felt as though she had been scarred, and kicked, and punched, and burned. Though she could see no blood she could feel it trickling down her arms and legs. She felt so much in pain that she could barely stand, her breath was ragged, her hands trembled as she gripped the folds of her dress between her fingertips.
I can't give up. Not now, not when I'm so close. I have to keep going. A strong heart will see me through any darkness.
She saw an opening before her, most of the monsters were destroyed and the corridor was clear leading up to a closed wooden door. She ran for it, knowing that she had to take this chance before more of those creatures arrived. If she could only get through the door and up the stairs then everything would be alright. She wasn't sure why that would be, why they wouldn't just follow her into the ballroom but…but it was hard to think, she was hurting so much and in so many places. She…had try, she couldn't give up.
"Cinderella, wait!"
She barely heard him as she flung open the door…and walked into three of those giant, fat-bellied creatures who loved to throw their fists around. They barred her way to the staircase and as she skidded to a fearful stop they began to pummel her.
Cinderella stood for a moment, enduring their fearful heavy blows like an old tree standing creaking in the face of a stormy wind. Then, she felt her legs buckle beneath her and she began to fall, her head spinning as the carpet rushed to make it.
"Make it stop," she cried as darkness embraced her.
Terra's heart, his entire body was consumed with cold as she saw Cinderella fall under the fists of those unversed bruisers. She can't be dead. She can't be dead. Her light can't have gone out of the world. He roared more fiercely than any prowling lion ever sounded as he cut down the scrapper in front of him, turning the little green insect into shards of sparks, before hurling himself down the corridor and into the three bruisers who loomed so large over her fragile form.
He cut them down in a rage, despatching them quickly one after the other, before kneeling down at Cinderella's side.
"Cinderella," said. "Can you hear me?"
She can't be dead.
"Answer me!"
There was no answer. She lay there, unmoving, her hands limp, lying on the ground in her elegant gown like a statue carved to adorn a sarcophagus within a crypt.
Don't think like that. She can't be dead. Her shining light cannot have been extinguished.
"Cinderella," he called, half shout, half sob.
He reached out with his unarmoured hand, and caressed her pale cheek. He felt something, a little touch of breath on his knuckles. She was still breathing. She was still alive! He had to help her…somehow. He had to do something. Clearly he couldn't take her to the ball now, and he couldn't just leave her here with the unversed around. He had…he had to get her away from here, he had to keep her safe.
He had to help her to get well again. He wanted her to get well again. He wanted to see her light shine once more.
Silently, Terra scooped Cinderella up in his arms and carried her into the night.
Author's Note: I was inspired to write this after watching a let's play where the LPer kept letting Cinderella die during the escort mission. Next chapter will see Aqua show up.