Hello Everybody, as you know the Rise of Darkness is still going to be updated, I just wanted to start this one anyway just to give myself something to do. Anyway, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom hearts or Disney related characters.
Riku walked toward the entrance to Disney castle and breathed in the morning air since returning from the Dragon Realms. He decided that he deserved a little break so he laid down on the grass in the courtyard and snozze for a few minutes. During his light slumber, he had some weird dream.
***Dream***
He saw a young puppy, in a glass container with several other puppies like him except that he was white and the others where brown and black. He saw the puppy wake up, yawn and look at a carrot that Riku could see was a toy for a dog. The puppy pounced on it and when it squeked he jumped back and look at it like he saw it for the first time, wagging his tail the entire time. A man walked arond the glass container and the other puppies followed him around and ended up knocking the white puppy over. He looked back at the toy, grabed it by its body and rolled over and noticed that he was being watched by a little girl only about 6 or 7 years of age.
The puppy rolled onto his stomach and looked at her with interest until he looked at his tail followed its movments and started chasing his tail. While he was chasing his tail the girl started laughing and told the owner of the shop that she wanted the white dog the most. The puppy put his paw on the glass keeping him and the girl away from each other, before the owner of the animal rescue center picked the little dog up carefully saying "Here boy." as he handed him over to the little girl. When she held the puppy, the first thing she could say about him was; "You're heavy," after the words left her mouth the pup started licking her enthusiasticly. The girl then said, "And slobbory, too." As she put him down he started licking her face as she pulled out a red collar with a golden circle on it that had the name she had chosen for him 'Bolt'.
"There," she said after she put the collar on him. "You're a good boy." she said as she kissed him on his forehead. When she was close again he licked her again, but alot more calmly then before, as if thanking her for the comment she had just givin him. She pulled away slightly looked at him intently and gave him a cute look. "You're my good boy." The girl hugged him tightly and for both of them it seemed that for that moment, that nothing else exicted, just the two of them and the bond that connected them almost since the girl first saw him.
***End Dream***
Riku stirred slowly, trying to remember everything that he had seen. When he felt something running doen his cheek, he lifted his hand and found that it was a tear, not a tear of sadness, but one of happiness. "That bond I felt... was it real? Or was it a vision of the past in the next world?" Riku sat there for a few more minutes before Sora walked up behind me, which of course I heard him because of my new and enhanced hearing. "Hey Sora, tell me, have you ever felt like your dreams are telling you something about someone's fate or anything?"
Sora's face turnned red for a brief minute before he responed his voice telling Riku that he was embarrassed about something. "Well, I don't think so. I mean, how would it be possible?"
Riku laughed lightly for a moment and turnned to face him. "No need to be that way Sora. Unless you want to tell Kairi how you really feel about her huh?"
Sora was blushing like a girl that had finally told a boy how much she liked him. "Wait y-you wouldn't tell her t-that I l-l-love her?"
Riku started laughing histarically, rolling on the ground holding his stomach. After a few minutes spent calming down, he looked at Sora and shook his head. "I wouldn't tell Kairi about your crush on her. I would let you make yourself look like Romeo trying to win fair Juliet's heart."
Sora looked at Riku like he wanted to chalange him to a dual but he surpressed the urge. "Riku, before I forget,King Mickey wanted to talk to you about your next mission."
"Thanks Sora. See you later huh?" Riku responed the way he usually does.
"See ya'." Sora said as he turned around and walked toward Disney castle's gummi ship hanger.
"Hey Riku!" A figure flying throught the air who landed next to Riku.
"Hey Shadow. How do you like this new world?"
Shadow looked around while saying, "It is very interesting, I never thought that there were other worlds." He noticed a group of walking brooms and stepped back a step at the site of brooms walking as if they had a will of their own. Riku noticed and patted him on his head which was even with Riku's shoulder.
"Don't worry about them, they are just servants of the King, he used magic to make them as they are now."
Shadow eased up after Riku's explination. "Alright. As long as they don't try anything..." Shadow looked at Riku and he nodded.
"Well, let's introduce you to the King. Besides, I have to find out my next assignment anyway."
"Shall we Riku?" Shadow said as he started walking ahead of him.
"Well thanks for starting Shadow. Do you even know where you are going?" Riku asked when he caught up to Shadow.
"No I don't, but I guess that you do?"
"Yeah I do. Follow me Shadow and try not to disrespect him. He has done alot for the worlds, just as much for the worlds as Sora and I have done put together."
"That must be alot of work."
"You couldn't imagine." Riku muttered as they entered the hallway to the Kings study. As they neared the door, Shadow became more and more nervous about meeting the King.
"Don't worry, he won't bite." Riku mused.
"That's not what I'm worried about Riku. I'm just worried what he thinks about who I am and what I've done in my past... I just want to be judged not by what I have done before, but what I can do to help the future of the worlds."
Riku looked at Shadow before nodding. "I'm sorry Shadow, I may not know what you have done in your past, but I do know that no matter what anybody says, you are definatly an alright guy in my book."
Shadow grinned at Riku until he was smiling to. "Thanks Riku."
"No problem Shadow." Riku paused in front of the the door to the Kings study. "You ready to meet the King?"
"Yeah. Let's."
Riku nodded and pushed open the door revealing that the room was a little more curvey than any room in the temple back in the Dragon Realms. Shadow looked around and saw many portrates of a mouse that was dressed in many different styles of clothing. On the back wall he noticed that from the floor to the celing, there was a variaty of books that lined the shelves. In front of that wall, was a dest with a large high-backed chair. Finally, who was in the chair was something far from what Shadow expected, he was a mouse that had large round ears, had clothing that identified him as having a royal heritage.
"Glad you made it Riku. Who is your knew friend?"
"M-my name is Shadow." He bowed and Riku noticed that for one of the first times that his movments weren't as smooth as when Trinity was around him.
"You don't have to be nervous Shadow. Riku and Sora were like that when they both first met me." The King looked toward Riku and Shadow's gaze followed his. "Isn't that true Riku?"
Riku nodded and looked toward Shadow. "It is true. I see no point in denying the fact that when we first met, we were both behind the Door to Darkness. We both kinda became close friends during the time we were going through Castle Oblivion." Shadow was looking beween Riku and the King and noticed that they both were looking at each other as equals instead of king and commoner.
"You both know each other very well I take it.?" Shadow asked after looking between Riku and the King fifty times each. They both nodded. "I guess that is how Trinity and I are now. We can look at each other and see that no matter what happens, that we are always going to be equals."
"That is just like how it should be for all beings, but they always has to be those who want power and will do anything to acheive it," The King said sadly.
Shadow noted his tone and asked, "So, I take it that you know about Xehanort's arrival in the Dragon Realms, his recruting me so the darkness would spread and finally, his turning me against everything I held close to my heart; my mate, my memories, and my freedom huh?"
The King nodded slowly, devasted. "I'm sorry Shadow. I am sorry that you had to be used as a pawn in this game that Xehanort has started all over again." Shadow was surprised by how sad the King sounded. He seemed to know how much pain he was in when Xehanort used him.
The King shook his head and his tone changed incredibly. "So sorry about not officially introducing myself, my name is Mickey, I'm the king of Disney Castle and I'm glad to meet you Shadow."
"Now that I know your name, were is the next place that Riku is going Mickey?"
"The place you both are going to is a place where stars are born. The world is called America. There are two people you need to find, a girl who is about 10 to 13 years of age and a dog that is five years old. The dog should have a black lighting bolt on his side," Mickey explained.
Riku nodded at first then shook his head. "Did you say you 'both' Your Majasty?"
Mickey nodded. "Yes I did Riku, 'cause I think that you and Shadow can work together with this world." Mickey turned toward Shadow and started. "I just have to let you know Shadow, that since you are going to a different world you can't tell anybody that you are from a different world or there will be major trouble."
Shadow nodded and responded. "That's easy enough. I just have to stay away from conversations that will involve my past."
Riku looked at Shadow and huffed slightly. "Yeah. Pretty much. At first it was hard for me to remember that I had to keep the world order a secret."
Shadow looked at Riku surprissed. "How hard could it be? I actually can't belive that it was hard for you Riku."
Riku's smile got bigger, not by much, but it got bigger. "Thanks Shadow. So I guess we should be on our way, huh Your Majasty?"
"Yeah, but first the time has come for Shadow to get a peice of armor so the darkness doesn't take over his heart."
Riku nodded and turned sharply toward the door. "Come on Shadow. Unless you want to become a Heartless."
Shadow turned instantly and started following Riku toward another side of the castle. "So about how long have you known the King Riku?" He asked trying to lighten Riku's mood.
"I have known him since I was 15 and I am 18 now so about three years. And here we are. Behind this door is the armor that will allow you to travel from world to world with me. But, to forewarn you Shadow, the armor choses thier owner not the other way around." Which Shadow looked down out of disappointment. "Hey, I thought the same thing but, I got better than I expected, the same thing may happen for you." Riku added trying to cheer Shadow up- which seemed to work- because Shadow looked up happier than he was seconds ago.
Shadow then surprised Riku by running into the room, toward the center and just standing there. He then started twitching nervously which Riku started luaghing lightly. Shadow turned and looked at Riku questionably, "What? Isn't this what you did?"
Riku shook his head. "No, I touched armor until one responded."
Shadow, to say the least, was embarrassed. "Well if you would've told me that earlier." He mummbled.
Riku smiled and patted him of the head. "Come on, let's find your armor." And so, they both started at the beginning trying different peices to find the one that would choose Shadow. After a few dozen attempts, they finally found one that responed to his touch. It was black and white in color, but that's not why Shadow found this one after dozen of failed attempts. He picked this one up becasue he thought he recognized the symbols engraved into it face.
After his touch, the armor glowed with an eerie light. When Riku noticed the glow he called Shadow and had him put the armor on his sholder. When Riku was sure it wouldn't fall off, the armor's glow brightened and encased Shadow in the light which blinded Riku. Soon the light died down enough for Riku to look, when he saw, he was impressed to say the least. The armor covered all but Shadow wings.
"Wow. This is really cool!" Shadow exlaimed.
Riku only chuckled and motioned for Shadow to follow. "Come on Shadow it's time to go."
Shadow nodded and followed Riku to the courtyard were he stopped abruptly. "Why did you stop?" Shadow asked while looking around.
"This is were I will open the portal to take us to that world." Shadow nodded after he explained. Riku turnned to Shadow and asked, "Are you ready?"
Shadow nodded and said, "Yeah, lets do this."
Riku summoned his keyblade from the Dragon Realms, pointed it into the air until the Keyblade sent a beam of light into the sky opening a portal. Riku looked briefly toward Shadow then threw his Keyblade into the sky and in a flash of light it had changed into a hover-board with jets on the back. Riku jumped onto it when it came close to the ground and landed on it so he wouldn't be thrown off when it takes off. Riku motioned toward the portal with his head while looking back at Shadow. "Let's go." With that, the board started flying toward the portal. Riku looked back before he entered to see that Shadow had watched him carefully and was flying right behind him wobbling every so often.
When they both entered the portal Shadow was looking around very quickly as if expecting an attack. Riku saw Shadow and decided not to comment on it and continued flying in silence. After about half and hour had passed they both started to notice that their destination was coming up rather quickly, they both looked at each other, nodded and flew toward what appeared to be a city- until a portal opened and swallowed them both.
For a few minutes, Shadow felt like something was happening to him, but he would have to wait until he could be certain that Riku was next to him.
After minutes more, Riku was dropped into a big, green trash can that was full of stuff that Riku didn't care to identify and Shadow was dropped behind a bunch of garbage bags. "That is just great. I feel like I could use a shower." Riku muttered after peeling a banana peel off his head. It was then that Riku didn't see Shadow and started calling ot for him. "What if he and I got seperated? That would just make people think that I'm crazy. 'Hey sir, have you seen a black dragon about yea high about this long and this wide?' Hmm..." Riku started looking around the ally and found a black dog. The dog looked at him with a intense glare that Riku recognized. "Shadow? Is that you?"
The dog nodded and waged his tail happily. Then Shadow barked and faced the entrance of the ally which now had a short dark-furred dog with a roan collar and a scar on his right cheek that was easily noticable. The dog also had eyes that made Riku think of his own.
Riku slowly got out of the garbage can and slowly walked toward him with his hand extended to let the dog smell him. "Here boy, I'm not going to hurt you."
When Riku got within the range that the dog could smell his hand, Riku stopped and kept his hand extended. The dog sniffed Riku's hand then looked at Riku very closely and licked his hand after breif moments of consideration on his part. Riku slowly patted the dog on the head and in a very calm voice told the dog that he was going to look at his collar. Riku turnned the tag around in his hand until he saw a name engraved into the face of the tag, 'Thunder.'
"So your name is Thunder huh?" Riku asked Thunder. Thunder nodded and barked happily. Riku smiled for a second then mentioned for Shadow to come over to them. Shadow looked at both Riku and Thunder before he walked up to Riku and sat down beside Riku.
Shadow started to bark softly at Thunder and as soon as Shadow finished barking Thunder barked back just as softly as Shadow. Riku kinda wondered what they were saying then mentally slapped himself when he remembered that all he had to do was contact the King and ask him to send him a device that would allow him to understad them.
Riku reached into his pocket and pulled out a comunicator and immediatly got in touch with Mickey. "Whachya need Riku?"
"I need something that will allow me to understand dog because Shadow became a dog and I think we already found a freind." Riku replied.
"Alright Riku send me your current position and I'll have it sent right away pal."
"Okay, over and out." Riku took the comunicator and typed his current position into the divice and sent it to Disney Castle. After a few minutes of waiting, a strange light lit up the ally causeing Riku, Shadow and Thunder to jump; Thunder, after the light faded looked like he was about ready to tear the nearest person or animal to shreads. Shadow looked over at him and barked softly and Thunder slowly relaxed and sat back down.
Riku got up from where he was sitting and went to were the flash seemed to radiate from. He scanned the area quickly and found two dog tags and a collar for Shadow, Riku guessed since Shadow didn't have one. Riku attached the tag to Thunder's collar and put the other collar on Shadow and noticed that there was also a braclet were the tag and collar were. Riku put it on and pressed a button and turned the braclet around his right wrist admiring how simple it looked. "So now I should be able to understand both of you. hmmm."
Shadow and Thunder both nodded said, "You should be able to now." almost in perfect sync that it kinda scared Riku for a second.
Riku turnned his attention to Thunder now putting on a serious look. "Thunder look, I know we just met and I know you still don't trust me but, I need to know were we are."
Thunder sighed, "Well, your in a city called Hollywood."
I will call it a chapter here. Riku and Shadow arrive in Hollywood and already made a freind? But does Thunder who Riku or Shadow does he trust the most. Nothing to say but R&R. Till next time. Dragon's Savior... out!