Rosalina and Demyx
I
A Kingdom Hearts II/Super Mario Galaxy crossover.
******darkness******oblivion**************is this death?***********somebody save me***********no, please no*********who is that?**********whose hand is that? Is that light?...
Slipping slowly into darkness, a confused and tormented soul. He didn't blame Sora one bit. He blamed himself. He had it coming, he knew it. Now all there was to do was to wait for death to engulf him.
He was blind. He knew not what was going on around him. He had been to the Underworld once before, in his living days, but he was a Nobody and knew he probably wouldn't end up in the same place most souls went. Good thing, too…he didn't feel like facing the god of death again, not after what happened last time.
All he knew…he was falling.
But a bright flash of light surrounded him. The process was somehow being reversed. A hand…only a hand belonging to someone of great power…was reaching into the darkness and letting in the light.
Then the hand grasped his own and pulled him upwards into the bright light.
His eyes were still closed…he was unable to open them.
The rest of his senses were on fire. He felt his body lying in sand, and a pair of arms settling around his chest. The sun beat down from above. The breeze tickled his ears and nose. His mouth was incredibly dry.
And the voice above him…the voice of the savior…a female voice, crooning, "My Myed…My Myed…"
He knew he must have been mistaken. There was no way for that voice to be the voice he thought it was.
He slipped out of consciousness.
Rosalina perched nervously over the limp body of the Nobody she had just rescued. It was a miracle that she had recognized Demyx for what he really was…the last time she had seen him, she was unable to. That was the day he tried to kill her and failed.
Yet as she walked between the worlds, her divine senses alerted her that something dear to her was about to be lost to the darkness.
An old friend…a best friend…Myed, with whom she had talked and joked for what seemed like an eternity of joy…he was dying.
So she had broken into the darkness and found what remained of his tattered soul and body…in essence, what was left of his Nobody. She saw his new face and remembered that he had once tried to kill her. She did not care…somehow, some way, he was Myed, and Myed could not be lost!
She brought him to the safety of the coasts of Beach Bowl Galaxy. Whilst penguins placidly frolicked in the waves, their well-known guardian Rosalina sat on the shore, bent over Demyx's nearly lifeless form, brushing the hair out of his eyes and praying for him to awaken…
Days passed. There was light in front of his sealed eyelids, then darkness. He was awake, then very much not so.
One fortunate day, he had just enough energy to strain his senses a little farther. He opened his eyes, just a little bit, before snapping them shut again. The pain of the sunlight was too much for his retinas to bear.
But he had verified the face in front of him. It was Rosalina…Rosalina…the woman he had once loved, but who had rejected his affection. The woman he tried to kill once he was in Nobody form…an act he regretted ever after. The woman he had been searching for since his transformation, even though he hadn't realized it.
Then, to his ears, the sweet sound of his salvation…he realized he was on a beach, and his element only a few feet away. How would he get her to understand?
He shifted slightly. He tried to pry his eyes open once more. He let out what sounded like a tuneless hum.
"Myed?" Rosalina asked. "Are you all right?"
With the remaining energy he had, he forced out the words "Get me to the water."
Rosalina carried him down to the sea's edge, laying him in the rising tide. The waters took him in.
All of a sudden, normalcy returned. Demyx's eyes flew wide open, taking in the blueness of the sea. His skin crackled with liveliness. His mind flew back to normal speed. He knew he would not be passing out again…his element had cured him.
He swam to the surface, breaking the water's skin. His beloved Rosalina…a vision in turquoise…she stood on the beach, watching him, radiant as a goddess.
"I'm fine, thank you," Demyx answered her earlier remarks. He stepped up onto the beach and approached her.
She didn't seem to care that he was soaking wet—Rosalina reached out to embrace her friend.
They knelt across from each other in the golden sand. They swapped stories of what had happened to them since last they met as Myed and Rosalina.
"I don't blame Sora a bit," Demyx finished his tale. "I had it coming. I mean, when people are falling left and right, I'm not going to be the last one standing. I'm not going to even be the twentieth-to-last."
"Same old Myed," Rosalina responded, "with the same old lack of self-confidence. When will you realize your worth?"
"Actually, I go by Demyx now, and…well…I don't have much worth. I don't even have a heart anymore. I'm not like you. Look at you! You're a princess, you've got the entire galaxy around your little finger…ohh, man." Demyx stopped to laugh at part of Rosalina's tale. "I still can't believe that big dummy BOWSER tried to create a galaxy of doom. Bowser can't even open a door without thinking about it for fifteen minutes first and figuring out how the handle works."
Rosalina turned her head, burying her face further into her hair to hide her blush at the compliments. "It's true," she said demurely. "Every word of it. He would have succeeded, too, had it not been for Mario's bravery."
"And your bravery," Demyx added. "You know, Rosalina…I'm so sorry I tried to kill you. I didn't know. I had just become my Nobody self, and I didn't remember you from my Somebody life, and Xemnas ordered me to…but no, no. That's all no excuse. I shouldn't have done it, and really, I can't believe that after I did it, you still wanted to save my pitiful life! What were you THINKING?"
"I was thinking," said Rosalina, "that I did not want to lose my dearest friend."
Demyx couldn't take his eyes off her, he realized. Even without a heart, he retained a fragment of the former love he had felt for the Galaxy Princess…and wished to hold her, kiss her, tell her how important she was to him. All he could say for the moment, though, was, "Well, I'm glad I was saved by my dearest friend."
They looked out over the ocean where the penguins frolicked for a while.
"So, where are we, anyway?" Demyx asked.
"We're in the Beach Bowl Galaxy," said Rosalina. "The planets here mostly have tropical climates, and the primary inhabitants are penguins."
"I thought they liked the cold."
"You would be surprised at the strange beings you meet as you travel through the galaxy—but every one is worth knowing."
Some of the penguins gathered turtle shells and began to race, riding the shells like they were bicycles.
"Looks like they're having fun with those shells," said Demyx.
A mischievous grin slowly crept across his face; he looked over to Rosalina to see that she was thinking the same thing he was. Two koopa shells lay conveniently on the beach's edge, and Rosalina nodded her head toward them.
"Three laps around the underwater mountain on the sea floor," she said, "and first one back to the beach wins?"
"You're on."
The two scrambled to their feet and rushed to the koopa shells. Rosalina snatched a red shell and dove into the water; Demyx followed closely with a green shell.
At first, Demyx was convinced the race was lost to him; the red shell seemed to naturally have a faster rocket power than the green. However, after the first lap, Rosalina had to go up for air and return to the floor, which hindered her speed. Demyx, on the other hand, could breathe underwater—it was his element indeed!—and kept on going with his green shell.
Before the third lap was complete, the penguins placed three rings in the course of the racers. "You gotta make it through all three rings to finish the race!" a tiny penguin cried.
Brows furrowed, the racers sped on, nearly neck and neck. By the first ring, Rosalina was in the lead; by the second, Demyx had edged ahead. They hit the third ring at exactly the same time; their shoulders lodged in the ring while the shells slipped out of their arms and sped on without them. The ring dissolved, and the twosome floated lazily to the ocean floor. Rosalina touched the loose sand and took off for the air at the surface. Demyx rolled about on the sea floor, laughing so hard that he couldn't move. He clutched at his stomach. He hadn't laughed that hard since he had met Xemnas…
He eventually swam up to the surface to discover that Rosalina was laughing just as hard while treading water.
"That ROCKED!" Demyx proclaimed.
"Yes!" said Rosalina.
The two performed a very soggy high five.
A beautiful, shining golden shell went floating by. Demyx plucked it out of the water and handed it to Rosalina. "Here," he said, "it's your trophy for winning the race."
"Nobody won the race."
"Oh, really? Well, I'm Nobody, so I guess that means I won…but seriously, you win by default for saving my life earlier."
"Ah." Rosalina took the shell; cradled it to her chest. "A token of your friendship."
"No." Demyx decided to chance it. "A token of my love."
Rosalina's smile faded. She dropped the shell in the water and swam for the surface.
"Rosalina!" Demyx followed her. "Rosalina, wait!"
She beat him to the beach.
"You won the race!" he called out as a joke.
She disappeared over the crest of a hill. Once Demyx got there, she had vanished from sight and was nowhere to be found.
Demyx trudged back to the beach, putting his face in his hands and sitting in the sand. He stayed that way all through the sunset.
He failed to notice the pair of green moray eels that made their way lazily away, having seen all they needed to see.
The penguins surrounded the lamenting man, fascinated by his sadness.
"You miss Mama," said a tiny penguin.
"Shut up," Demyx groaned.
"You need something to cheer you up!" squealed another penguin.
"No, I don't. Go away."
"Awww, don't cry!" said a third penguin. "Mama will come back!"
"I SAID GO AWAY!" Demyx screamed, throwing his hands out to shoo the penguins to the corners of the beach. His violent side…the one Xemnas had brought out of him…was beginning to show itself. He sank back into his ball of sadness. He had sworn when he saw Rosalina again that he would keep that side under control…he would not strike out again…not even at Sora, who had killed him.
Perhaps he was prepared to harm Xemnas, though…for taking him, a lost one without a heart, and turning him into a monster…
Demyx slowly rose. He needed to be back among his element. He ran towards the water, lacking grace as he tripped and fell face first into the sea. It didn't matter. There was water around him again…it was the closest he would ever get to being himself again, he was sure.
He dog-paddled around the underwater mountain again, head above the surface, staring up at the stars. He used to watch the stars with Rosalina, back when he was Myed. They stayed up for hours doing nothing but talking about those glittery little pinpoints in the sky.
Something smooth and slightly gelatinous brushed against his hand. Demyx looked to his right, coming face-to-face with a manta ray. The ray had friendly eyes, and it seemed to know something was wrong with the half-human who was paddling around in his waters.
"This is Ray!" said a penguin, dropping in out of nowhere.
"How original," Demyx growled. He stopped, furrowing his brow. He had to keep himself under control…he would not harm the penguins…what had the penguins done to him? Nothing that deserved what he wanted to dish out to them. Control. Control.
"We surf on Ray," said the little penguin. "It's called Ray Surfing."
Demyx bit back another "how original" and nodded. He was rather curious as to what the little penguin meant.
"Show me," he commanded.
The penguin hopped on the back of the manta. By positioning his feet and center of gravity accordingly, he let Ray know where to go, and Ray sped in that direction. When Ray came up against a large wave, he went with its flow just like the best surfboards.
Ray pulled to a stop in front of the lazily floating Demyx. The penguin hopped off Ray's back, and Ray gave Demyx a look that conveyed a specific question.
"All right," groaned Demyx, "I'll give it a try already."
He climbed onto Ray's back, rather unsteady. Ray took off, causing the Nobody to slightly lose his balance. However, in a few minutes, Demyx had mastered the art of Ray Surfing.
"WOOOHOOOOOO!" His cry rang out over the Beach Bowl, and the penguins clapped as he pulled off stunt after stunt.
Demyx's performance was interrupted when a female head broke the surface of the water, right in his path.
"WHOA!" Demyx fell backwards off Ray while trying to avoid running over the woman. He hit the sea with a noticeable splash.
The penguins scurried for shore. They felt an unhealthy aura coming from this woman…they huddled against the mountains, hoping not to be noticed.
"Poor lonely lover," crooned the woman.
Demyx turned to face her. He recognized her immediately.
"You're one of Maleficent's flunkies," he growled.
"Oh, dear," said the sea witch commonly known as Ursula, "is that nasty old rumor still going around?"
"You've come back to finish me off, haven't you? You want to get the entire Organization out of your way!"
"I'm not under Maleficent's orders, and if I were you, I wouldn't be such a hypocrite. I think you understand what it's like to go solo. You aren't exactly planning to join Xemnas again, are you?"
"No…"
"Nor are you willing to wreak the old havoc on the worlds?"
"No…"
"Neither am I. I have reformed, you see…I realized my powers would be extremely useful in the benefit of mankind, and I could establish power and a reputation that way. In fact…I could even help you."
"No, you couldn't…you don't even know what I want."
"I know you want the Galaxy Princess to return your affections."
Demyx turned his face down, staring at the ripple of the waves.
"Do you know why she refuses to love you?" Ursula asked.
Demyx shook his head.
"It is because you have no heart."
"Because I have no heart…" Demyx echoed in a whisper.
"I could give you one, you know," Ursula informed him.
Demyx's head jerked upwards. "You can do that?"
"Why do you think they call me a witch?"
"Would you do that?"
"I am feeling generous…"
"Then do it!"
"One little thing," said Ursula. "Times are tough, dearie, and a witch has to earn a living. There is a small price."
"What kind of price?"
"Your musical ability."
Demyx thought it over. "So…you mean I'd never be able to play a sitar again?"
"With a heart, why would you need one? And what wouldn't you do to have your Princess notice you?"
Demyx sighed. "Okay."
Ursula made a fist, then unclenched it. A golden piece of paper rolled down from her hand. It was a contract.
"You'll have to sign," Ursula informed Demyx.
"Whatever." Without reading the words printed on the paper, Demyx took a pen offered to him by the witch and messily scrawled his name at the bottom.
"Very good," said Ursula. "Now, just sit back and relax…and let the transformation begin!"
It was like falling through the darkness all over again…
*******dead again********never should have trusted*******falling*******oh, wait******that's the light******WHAT THE*******my name is…my name is…
A vision emerged from the water: a man with platinum blond hair flowing loosely around his face, eyes that were a little closer to green than they had been a short while ago, and a tastefully simple white outfit given to him as a bonus by the witch.
The penguins tentatively crawled out of their hiding place. Ursula had gone, and they were eager to examine this new being which had crawled onto their shore…the image of a man who smiled the smile of one who has felt true joy for the first time.
Myed had returned to the multiverse.