Another update? In just a week? What devilry is this?!
But yeah, I seemed to have taken on a rather productive streak lately, one which I hope lasts.
Enjoy! ;)
Obligatory Disclaimer: Own nothing, as usual.
Water, Water, Everywhere
So, it turns out the guy wasn't fighting right away. Instead, he summoned these weird lumps of water that took on the form of barely humanoid guitar players, which then proceeded to skate around us in dizzying circles.
Joy.
I turned sharply on my heels, hands gripped tightly around the handle as I swung. I cut deeply into three of the drones that had come up behind me, each one bursting into a formless mass of water that puddled at my feet and splashed across my skirt. Ugh. I hate getting wet!
There were a lot more too. In fact, there were so many, they seemed to blend together into one gelatinous mass, separating and mixing faster than I could perceive. At this rate, we'd never be able to get to the puppet master pulling the strings (literally and metaphorically speaking), protected as he was by his army of water minions.
"Alright, what's our game plan?" I asked as we pressed our backs together, forming a defensive circle.
"Take them down!" Donald shouted, eyes flashing intensely as he raised his wand and set several of the circling drones alight. Mari added her own volley, skewering several into harmless puddles on the floor.
"Well, that's certainly one plan," I grunted as I smacked two that'd tried to jump at me at the same time into mist.
"Don't worry, Hikari," Sora said reassuringly, "I've got an idea. Just stick close to us and don't get separated. "
He broke away from the group, charging headlong into the fray, Donald and Goofy just behind him and giving him cover.
"That's our cue," I called to Mari before running after them, hitting what drones I could and avoiding those I couldn't. Ahead of me, I saw Goofy steamroll several into the ground with his trusty shield while Donald zapped another several into extinction with a bolt of lightening, and Sora . . .
What is he doing? I wondered to myself, flabbergasted.
He was picking up one of the water drones and swinging it around over his head like a lasso! Granted, it looked like it was doing quite a substantial amount of damage and clearing up quite a bit of space, but still, it looked ridiculous! If the situation weren't so dire, I may have chuckled at the sight.
Except the situation was dire, so instead I lobbed my keyblade into the air, the whirling blade taking out several of the drones at once. More of Mari's arrows rained down from the sky, popping several more, and I noted with grim satisfaction that there were only a few left, which Sora made short work of with his little lasso trick.
Now the only one left was the man (I'm going to call him Sitar), who looked pretty peeved that we'd taken out his entire army. Strumming a few notes on his guitar, several very large orbs of water materialized in the air around him before shooting out with incredible speed. Most of the oncoming projectiles were clearly aimed at Sora, but he expertly dodged them, weaving between the orbs with speed I couldn't hope to match yet. Goofy successfully blocked one with his shield, the orb exploding and spraying harmlessly over its surface, and Donald didn't even have to move as all the orbs were nowhere near him, though he still visibly panicked and flailed his arms as they sailed passed. Lucky duck. One zoomed toward me and I leapt to the side, just barely avoiding it as the very edge of the sphere tugged at the hem of my skirt.
Just behind me, I heard a loud splash and Mari crying out.
I spared her a glance and saw her sprawled along the ground, dripping wet and dazed, but mostly unharmed. She was stumbling back to her feet when I looked away, spitting out some water as she grabbed her bow. Growling, I glared at Sitar, mentally judging the distance between me and him with my eyes. Currently, he was preoccupied with Sora, who was giving him a good thrashing with moves I almost couldn't follow. And looking now, I realized that this was the first time I'd seen Sora fight. And boy, could he fight! Only a few moments of observation in and I could clearly see the difference in our experience and skill. If I survived this battle, I really needed to step my game up and learn quickly if I even wanted a hope of catching up. Maybe ask him for a few fighting tips . . . or lessons. It all depended on how much of my pride I felt like swallowing, really.
But enough with that, I had a Nobody to deal with. Bending my knees, I pushed off the ground and shot forward, eyes locked on the man still duking it out with Sora. My plan was to use that distraction to come in from the side and put in some decent hits before falling back. How much damage I'd actually do, as well as how stupid this idea was, remained to be seen.
Not even a heartbeat later, I made it close enough to where I could see even the fine details of Sitar's guitar, right down to the gleaming cerulean strings. In fact, up close, it looked like the strings were actually made out of impossibly thin strands of water, which would have been really cool if it wasn't trying to kill me.
Teeth bared, I sprang forward and swung, the serrated edge of my Keyblade cutting cleanly through the streamers of water that hung suspended in the air between us. Small droplets rolled off it's surface, the golden light refracting through every drop.
And I struck home.
Sitar let out a pained yelp as the tip dug viciously through his side, and he backpedaled away from me. Success! Taking hold of the advantage we'd opened, me and Sora pressed forward, weapons held high.
But Sitar had had enough. Sharply raking his fingers over the strings, the guitar in his hands produced a bone-chillingly shrill note that made my ears ring and my eyes water. Below my feet, I heard an ominous rumbling begin to sound.
Oh shi-!
A pillar of ice cold water exploded out from under my feet, spraying up all around me like an unrelenting whirlwind. It was so powerful that it pulled me up off the ground, and suddenly I was being spun around and around, helpless and unable to breathe as icy water flooded my nose and mouth.
I wanted to scream. I'd never liked water, and the thought of drowning to death in it had always been one of my biggest fears. But actually living in the possibility that that could happen right now made my heart pound and my mind race as I frantically-and vainly-tried to swim my way out.
And suddenly, the geyser vanished, and I was falling down to the ground below. I landed harshly on my back, right on the bruise I'd received from my first fight, and pain shot through my spine like fire. I coughed, only to then choke and splutter as water tried to force it's way into my lungs. My limbs felt numb and my water-logged clothes felt impossibly heavy, the air chilling me to the very bone. But the sound of fighting was still going on around me, and I knew I needed to get up. Rolling onto my stomach, I pushed myself up on shaking arms and clambered unsteadily to my feet, panting. Ugh. That had not been pleasant.
Okay, I had to grudgingly admit, maybe this guy was a lot tougher than I'd originally given him credit for.
"Hikari!" I heard Donald shout, and suddenly my body was surrounded in a halo of soothing green light. The pain in my body almost immediately disappeared, and I found that I was able to breathe a little easier.
Feeling a little less like a half-drowned rat and more like a living human, I hopped out of Sitar's range, shouting a quick, "Thanks Donald!"
"Be more careful!" he shouted back, eyes on the enemy. With a wave of his wand, I watched as a streak of fire flew out of the tip and glanced off the guy's guitar, singing away some of his hair and evaporating the water hovering nearby into steam. At the same moment, Sitar played a few more notes and suddenly he was speeding through the air on several geysers of water that burst up from under his feet, striking both Goofy and Sora at the same time and knocking them off their feet as he passed.
And that was when I got an idea.
"Hey Donald, how did you do that?" I asked, running up to his side and striking a water drone that had materialized beside him. Damn it, why were those things coming back?!
"Huh?" he asked, focus still on Sitar.
"How did you cast the fire?" I asked, voice a bit sharper than before. Hey, I needed his answer quick if I wanted to give this idea a try.
"What?" he shouted in disbelief, "You're asking this now?"
"Yes!" I yelled as I popped another drone into mist, "Just give me a quick rundown, I wanna try something."
"Uh, well," Donald stuttered, clearly not used to having to give impromptu lessons in the middle of a huge fight. Which I couldn't blame him for.
"I'll cover you!" I shouted, destroy several more drones with a mighty swing and hopping away until I was back-to-back with the magic-wielding duck.
Donald gave a grunt of protest, but I cut it, "Here, think of it this way. Tell me what to do and I'll leave you alone!"
He heaved a disgruntled sigh, but relented after blasting a shard of ice in Sitar's direction. It slammed hard into the guy's side, and it actually looked like it did a bit of damage as he winced in pain.
"Okay, well, the first thing you need to do is focus," Donald listed off, leaping to one side as another volley of orbs came our way.
I jumped left to keep up with him, just barely avoiding an orb as it brushed past my leg. I have got to keep a closer eye on those things.
Nodding, I parried the blow of another drone as it tried to sneak up behind Donald before smashing through it's amorphous head. It melted into a puddle, the water sloshing up against my boots as I said, "Focus, got it."
"And then, uh," Donald hesitated.
I glanced at him, "Duck, do not tell me you don't know."
"Hey, I've never done this before!" Donald protested as he slammed the butt end of his staff between a drone's eyes. With a frustrated shriek, he pointed the staff at several drones surrounding Goofy and numerous bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, destroying all of them at once.
I lifted an eyebrow, "So, and this is just a guess, focus and emotion?"
Donald actually looked a little sheepish, "Uh, well, kinda. I also imagine the spell happening before I cast it so I don't hit someone I don't wanna hit."
I nodded, satisfied, "Alright, think that's all I need. Thanks!"
I took off, running back into the battle, just missing Donald's warning, "Ah, wait, there's something else you need to know! Hikari!"
To me, it looked like the fight had taken a momentary hiatus, with neither side attempting to attack the other. Sora and Goofy had amassed a large collection of bruises and cuts, panting heavily as they glowered at their opponent, who looked just as banged up as they did. Mari stood beside the cliff, partially leaning against it with her shoulder as she took the chance to breathe. The rest of Sitar's water minions had been dealt with, leaving him alone, and judging from the way he was strumming his guitar, I could tell he was revving up for another one of his geyser attacks.
But which one?
If I wanted to do what I wanted to do, I knew I had to observe carefully.
And there he went! Rising on a wall of water that sped him through the air and took down anyone who was stupid enough to stand in the way! That was what I needed. Sora and Goofy both managed to jump out of the way in time, though not before getting doused by the water's spray. Mari fired another arrow, the glowing point piercing through the water only to become lost in the icy current. The arrow dispersed into harmless motes of light that were quickly swallowed in the darkness beneath the surface. Sitar landed sure-footedly on the ground despite the water that slicked it's surface and ran his fingers over the strings, the haunting sound bouncing off the stony crags around us. Another wave of water orbs flew around the field and I jumped to avoid them, somersaulting and landing on my feet just out of range.
Only to slip and land flat on my ass.
"Ouch!" I hissed, rubbing my backside. Damn water.
"ARGH!" the pained cry echoed throughout the small, water-soaked patio, and I was back on my feet in an instant.
Sora lay sprawled across the ground, water sloshing around him as he attempted to clamber back to his feet only to hiss in pain and grab his leg. I started in shock when I saw thin streams of red mixing in with the water around him, and it was then I saw the long and bleeding cut that ran up the side of his calf. I was already running to him when I saw Sitar's lips curl into a dark smile, fingers plucking sardonically on the strings. The water started to churn, and it was then I realized what he was about to do.
"Sora, GET UP!" I cried, but I already knew he wouldn't be able to move in time, not at the rate he was going. Not with that cut on his leg.
"Sora!" I heard both Donald and Goofy shout at the same time, panic and fear evident in their voices. Goofy was also running toward his friend, but he and his shield were too far away to make it in time. Donald looked like he was about to throw a potion Sora's way, but the time it would take for Sora to use it . . .
He didn't have time!
Sitar played the last note, and then he was blitzing forward with all the power of a tsunami, unstoppable and relentless. And he was going straight for Sora.
It was now or never.
I might die, I realized. My plan was insane and incredibly reckless. But reckless might be the only thing that would save Sora's life now. So, with gritted teeth, I slid to a stop right in front of him and dropped into a warrior's stance my Kendo teacher had taught me, readying myself for the attack. Ko Gasumi, it was called. Knees bent, body sideways, and spine straight, with your arms bent up and your hands beside your face so your sword ran parallel with your forehead.
Heh, it seemed like such a long time ago when I received that instruction. Almost like it had taken place in another life. It was kind of funny how just a few short days could change my life so drastically. But thinking back to those simpler times wasn't going to help me now. Now, I needed to fight.
Focus.
Time seemed to slow down. Sitar was still moving, but at what seemed like a snail's pace. Every droplet of water suddenly became clear and easy to tell apart, from the ones hanging between me and certain death to the ones rising up around my feet.
Feel.
Anger boiled just under the surface of my skin, but that feeling was subdued by another; the overwhelming need to protect. And protect I would, I decided resolutely. So that way even if I died doing this, someone else would live.
Imagine.
I thought of fire, of the flames twisting and bending like clay in my hands. Real, alive, and doing my bidding. Energy coiled inside me like a wound-up spring, waiting for the signal to release.
"Attack," I breathed without knowing, and without a second thought, I thrust my Keyblade into the pillar of water that had risen before me.
I couldn't say that I heard Sora or Mari because at that point I could hear little else except the roar of the water as it fought to tear the Keyblade out of my hands. What I could say was that I did feel them, in a way. Feel their words shouted at my back, and both of them were crying the same thing.
"HIKARI!"
I twisted the Keyblade sharply to the left, like one would a key in a stubborn lock, and I released the energy I felt brimming inside to it's fullest extent. Fire exploded from the tip of my Keyblade into the water, the two opposing elements mixing and twisting around each other like snakes locked in a fierce battle. The water boiled and hissed as the fire crackled and roared, and my vision was lost in a hazy cloud of steam.
"WHOA!" I heard Sitar give a loud cry of surprise as the water under his feet suddenly vanished and he was sent hurtling to the ground, landing with a loud thud almost ten feet away from where I stood, "OOF!"
Attack him now! I thought, knowing that now would be the perfect time to strike.
But I couldn't move. Black started to swim on the edge of my vision, colors blurring and smudging and losing form. Then the world was tilting sideways as my legs gave way and the ground rushed up to meet me. I didn't feel the impact.
I was unconscious before I even hit the floor.
{******}
My whole body felt like one big bruise when I woke, every muscle aching in dull protest when I moved. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed the back of my head as I looked around. Black, empty space, colors glowing from painted glass underneath where I sat . . .
Oh . . . oh no . . .
"This again?" I asked irritably, rising to my feet.
"Yes, again," a voice said from behind me.
I whirled around, spitting, "Cloak!"
It raised up it's arms in a pacifying gesture, elbows bent and fingers spread, "Relax. I am not here to fight."
I growled in suspicion, "Oh really?"
"Yes. Truth be told, I am here to talk," Cloak lowered it's arms and made no move to come near me, which didn't make me relax any. It could probably teleport behind me just by thinking about it, so just because it wasn't moving didn't mean I was safe.
Eyes narrowed, I snorted in disbelief, "You want to talk, huh? Okay, fine. Let's talk. We can start with just what the hell is up with this place?"
The inquisitive tilt of it's head was so slight I only just caught it, and it asked, "How do you mean?"
I rolled my eyes and stuck my arms out as I demanded, "Does it really need explaining?!"
Dropping my arms, I glowered at it, "But fine, let's start with the fact that I keep forgetting this place even exists when I'm not here! What the hell is up with that?"
"Hm," Cloak hummed before continuing, "It's actually a surprisingly simple answer, though you may or may not take my word on it. The reason you forget is for your own protection."
I lifted an incredulous eyebrow, "My protection?"
"Yes. From what, though, I will not say," it replied softly.
"Oh, well, that's helpful, isn't it? It's just so wonderfully cryptic that it must be true!" I said sarcastically.
Cloak said nothing.
"Argh," I growled, "Just cut to the chase will you? What the hell do you want this time?"
Cloak's head lowered a slight fraction, and it's voice was unusually hushed, "To apologize."
Well. That was not what I expected to hear at all.
"What? Apologize? For what, exactly?" I asked, barely able to believe what I'd just heard.
". . . Do you remember the battle you were participating in before arriving here?" Cloak inquired slowly.
I blinked, my mind wandering back to the moments I last remembered before arriving here, "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
"The weakness you experienced before you fell unconscious is not unusual for first-time magic users. But even then, they are winded and typically only require a brief rest. Falling unconscious is rare," Cloak explained to me, and I listened intently.
I felt a small spark of fear wiggle it's way into my heart when I fully processed the words. If falling unconscious wasn't normal, then . . .
"So, what does that mean for me?" I asked, trying not to make my growing anxiety obvious.
Cloak let out a short, hollow chuckle, "You will not die, if that is what you are worried about."
So much for keeping my anxiety hidden.
Cloak continued, "No, what it means is that I pushed you too far."
My eyebrows went up, bewildered by it's statement, "You pushed me too far?"
Cloak nodded, "Yes. Tell me, Hikari, did you really think you would have survived this long if you still carried the skills you had before you met me?"
I blinked and opened my mouth to start asking what it meant, when instead I found myself ruminating on my previous battles, eyes growing wider with every thought that passed. The strength I'd wielded, the agility I'd exercised, and the speed I'd used all came back to me in a rush, and in a sudden, jolting shock of awareness, I realized that there was no way I could have done all of those things on my own!
"How-?" I started, staring at my hands, unable to find the words in light of this new discovery.
"Because I gave you the knowledge to use those abilities," Cloak said, and my eyes snapped to it in shock, "On your own, it would have taken you much longer to learn what you needed to in order to survive. So, I gave you a small shortcut."
I swallowed thickly, "So, what about my magic? Was that-?"
"My doing as well? In part," Cloak explained, "You already had an innate talent for it. I merely pushed you in the right direction. Although, it appears to have had some . . . unfortunate side effects."
"Tch, you think?" I asked acerbically.
Cloak looked up into the empty blackness above, "It seems my tutelage has pushed you too far in too short a time, and for that, you have my sincerest apology."
I stared at it, gauging the sincerity of it's words and wondering if I should take it with a grain of salt. This was the same guy who'd hurled fireballs at me in order to teach me magic, after all. But I couldn't find a trace of a lie in it's voice. What reason could it possibly have to lie now, anyway? To get my trust? As if.
Taking a deep breath, I looked it squarely in it's shadowed face and said, "Fine. I accept your apology. But something tells me it's not going to really mean anything since I'm going it forget we even had this conversation once I wake up."
"Perhaps you will," Cloak agreed, "But I will not."
I still maintained eye contact (if it even was it's eyes I was looking at), not blinking or looking away as I gave voice to the questions I had long wanted to ask, "Since you've said your piece, mind if I ask you a few things before I leave?"
"Hm? Why bother? As you said yourself, you will forget this conversation once you awaken," Cloak asked. It sounded like it was trying to avoid my questions, which only made me want to ask them more.
"Then it shouldn't be that big of a deal for you to answer now, should it?" I asked, and from the way it's shoulders stiffened, I knew I had it cornered, "So, first thing; why do you have my bracelet?"
Cloak patiently folded it's arms, voice flat, "That is none of your concern."
"The hell it isn't!" I snapped before forcing myself to cool down, "I mean, there's my bracelet, you have one, and now there's this boy out there flashing it around as well! So forgive me for being a little confused as to why the bracelet my mom gave me is suddenly a hot fashion trend and everyone suddenly has one!" My arms flew up over my head in exasperation, voice laced heavily with sarcasm, "Get it while sales last!"
Cloak paused, ignoring my ribbing in favor of asking it's plainly perplexed question, "Boy?"
"Yes, a boy," I said tersely, arms dropping back to my sides.
"Hm," Cloak mumbled. It almost sounded . . . concerned, "Did this boy give you a name?"
"He didn't exactly stick around long enough for me to get his name," I explained stridently, patience wearing thin.
"Then I am afraid I do not know of this boy you speak of," Cloak said.
"Sure you don't," I muttered doubtfully. But you know what, fine! If Cloak wanted to be that guy, then fine! What did I care? It's not like anyone before had been nice enough to sit down and explain anything to me, why should now be any different?!
But if I didn't ask my last question, I felt like I would regret it. So, taking a deep breath through my nose and exhaling through my mouth, I asked, "Alright, last question, though I doubt you're going to answer that one too. Why exactly are you helping me?"
Cloak was silent, and then to my infinite surprise it looked away from me.
"Because . . ." It started, then hesitated. No way, was I actually going to get an answer?
"You were . . . you are, someone dear to me."
. . . What?
The scenery suddenly started to grow white, and I realized that I was waking up. But I didn't want to wake up, not yet, not right now! But it was too late. And right before my eyes opened in the real world, I head Cloak's voice whisper solemnly, "And I hope you never learn the reason why."
{******}
Voices were twittering all around me, indistinct and fuzzy, but I could still tell they were worried.
"Is she okay?"
"Gawrsh, I hope she is . . ."
"Hikari!"
Mari . . .
I moaned and opened my eyes, blinking back tears at the light that assailed them, "Ow . . ."
"Look, she's waking up!" That was Donald. He didn't sound like himself. Was it because he didn't sound angry?
I heard Sora sigh in relief, "Thank goodness . . ."
I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and lift me up so I was sitting instead of laying down, but the sudden shift in position made the blood rush uncomfortably to my head.
"Whoa . . ." I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut when I felt like I was about to pass out again.
"Hikari?" Mari asked in alarm, voice right next to my ear. She must be the one supporting me right now.
"Uh, hang on, I think I've got something that'll help," Sora said quickly, and I think I heard him rummaging in his pockets.
There was a soft crunching sound, like someone cracking open an egg, and suddenly I was surrounded in an aura of pale blue light. The drowsiness subsided and I felt strength seep back into my limbs.
Shaking my head to clear it, I was finally able to look up at the ring of worried faces around me and weakly say, "H-hey guys."
For a short moment, the only response anyone gave me was an oddly synchronized sigh of relief. In the soft lull, I realized that the small patio around us was empty save for our group. Sitar was gone.
My attention very quickly broke away from thoughts on the absent Nobody when a body suddenly flung itself onto my own and nearly knocked me back against the ground, a pair of arms winding around my throat and squeezing the air of me like a pair of pythons!
"HIKARI!" Mari wailed, "Don't you ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER do that again!" She shook me violently with every declaration of the word 'ever', my head jerking back and forth with every shake.
"O-kay!" I tried to say, words bouncing with every jostle, "I-won't!"
She stopped shaking me, sitting back and staring me straight in the eye, her own hazel orbs filled with tears. Sniffing softly, she asked, "You promise?"
I rubbed my throat and managed a nod, smiling and hoping she would calm down. Although, I did owe her a little more than that, "Yeah. I promise. Sorry for the scare."
Mari sniffed again but nodded, seeming to accept my promise and my apology.
"I hope you mean it," Sora cut in, frowning, "You really scared us back there, Hikari!"
"Sorry again," I said, but I could feel my aggravation levels beginning to rise. I did feel guilty for making them worry, but I could not, would not, feel guilty for my actions, "But I couldn't exactly sit still when I saw you about to be surfed out of existence!"
His frown deepened as a confrontational tone entered his voice, "Yeah, but I can take care of myself! You didn't need to jump in like that!"
"And where would you be now if I didn't? Sleeping with the fishes, that's what!" I proclaimed testily, glaring.
Donald suddenly jumped forward and stuck a feathery finger in my face, his face red and voice livid and apparently unable to hold back anymore, "That's not the problem! What were you thinking?! We told you not to do anything reckless!"
"And I think I told you no promises, so there!" I shot back. I don't know why I was so angry all of a sudden, but I was. It wasn't the fact that they were angry with me that was setting me off. It was something about the way they were angry. Something familiar . . . and it was really getting under my skin.
"Hey now, everybody settle down-," Goofy started, lowering his hands up and down in a slow and placating manner, but Donald stubbornly shook his head.
"NO! Using magic like that is dangerous! She could've gotten really hurt!" Donald yelled, and the manner in which he did it set off something else in my mind, like a nearly forgotten memory. What the hell was it?
And then it hit me like one of Sitar's geysers, realization and remembrance seeping through my skin like icy water. Donald's reaction, Sora's too, was one I'd seen before. From my mom, who had done the exact same thing whenever I'd done something stupid.
Anger born from worry and fear.
I inwardly cringed at the parallel emotions I saw and remembered, and I felt the anger deflate out of me like hot air out of a balloon. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. All I could think of was how much I really wanted their attention off of me, focusing on something else just so they weren't looking at me like that!
And in a small flash of eureka, I found my answer. Looking at them all, I quickly said, "Hey, don't worry about me right now, we've still got other issues to deal with. There's a war going on, remember? We should probably get to work on that."
I looked at Donald and Sora, "You can yell at me later, okay?"
"Hmph!" Donald grunted and turned away, arms crossed. But I guess he realized where I was coming from, because he gave up on lecturing me.
"Hm," Sora hummed. His head dropped a little, eyes on the floor and away from me, clearly annoyed and frustrated.
No one said anything for a few very awkward moments until Goofy, bless his heart, stepped forward to try to dissipate the tension by saying a few rousing words, "Hey you guys, Hikari's right. We gotta go help our friends out!"
Sora looked at him, silent for a few seconds before a small smile broke out on his face, "Yeah, you're right!"
Donald's annoyed posture dropped after a moment, seeming to accept Goofy's words as he nodded determinedly, "So let's get going!"
I stood up on wobbly legs with thankfully only a little help from Mari, who hovered nearby just in case. I didn't say anything though. The less attention on me right now, the better. Besides, it seemed Mari wanted to do all the talking for me, "Yeah, and kick some bad guy booty while we're at it!"
I hope they don't try and stop me, I thought to myself as I quietly watched them. I still felt crummy, and I was trying very hard not to show it. Them being angry with me wouldn't do me any favors either if they did decide I was better off staying behind.
Though destiny seemed to have something else in store for us, because right then an unfamiliar and very high-pitched voice called out, "Ah-ha! There you are!"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy froze, looks of pure, mortified dread filling all of their faces at once. Deep down, this really made me worry.
I turned my head to the stairwell that led back to the city, and standing in front of them was . . . a mouse?
Yeah, my eyes were not deceiving me. It was a mouse. A mouse wearing a black cloak.
My eyebrows furrowed involuntarily, mouth hanging slightly open as I looked for the words to express my confusion. This couldn't be what was making Sora and co. so nervous, was it? But I could see that there wasn't anyone else around, so who else could it have been?
The strange mouse was giving us all a hard stare, lips pursed and face one of stern disappointment. He began to walk to us, his posture and bearing almost regal in it's intensity (which is pretty damn impressive considering he was like, two feet tall) and the trio in front of me straightened up almost reflexively. The mouse stopped when he stood before us, arms crossed and eyes still conveying a very displeased sentiment that was being directed solely at the trio, all of whom started to look equal parts dismayed, ashamed, and embarrassed. Donald had ducked his head in what was perhaps the closest I'd ever seen him to ashamed while Goofy had pressed the tips of his fingers together in a manner not unlike a child who'd just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Sora lifted a hand and looked like he wanted to say something in their defense, but the words never came as his head drooped and his arm fell back to his side. By now, it was pretty clear to me that they knew the mouse and the mouse knew them. I really started to wonder what the three had done to invoke such a tranquil severity from him.
But then the mouse's expression softened, and a small smile appeared on his face as he lightly shook his head. The displeasure from before disappeared as if it had never been present, and understanding had taken it's place. Placing his hands on his hips, the mouse addressed the three with a light and whimsical tone, "You sure have lotsa friends to help."
The shamefaced expressions on Sora, Donald, and Goofy's faces slowly morphed into one of hopeful understanding when it became clear that this strange mouse was no longer angry with them. Meanwhile, Mari's grip on my arm had tightened inexplicably, and I gave her a puzzled glance, only to severely start to worry for the mouse's safety when I saw the googly-eyed, awe-struck, absolutely besotted expression on her face. I swear, I saw sparkles in her eyes, like legit sparkles.
The mouse suddenly became very animated in his speech, voice loud and eyes full of vigor as he spoke, "So, I guess we better all pull together and finish this battle for good!"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy all snapped their heels together in perfect unison, shoulders straight and voices clear as they all said, "Yes, your Majesty!"
Wait . . . what? Your Majesty? As in, like, KING your majesty? Oh boy, just who have I run into now, exactly?
I didn't get to ask my-very important-question, however, because my mind quickly took a nosedive into 'panicked jumble' territory when the vice-like grip on my arm vanished. I reflexively reached out to grab her, shouting, "Mari, Mari, NO!"
Too late. The blonde idiot was well out of mine and everyone else's reach and was making a direct beeline for the mouse, who was so unaware of the danger it would have been funny if I was in a mood for a laugh. But I wasn't, especially when Mari forsook all manner of sanity and any resemblance to it as she dive-tackled the mouse and proceeded to hug the ever-loving hell out of him, shrieking in delight, "You are so CUTE! OH, Iloveyou, Iloveyou, Iloveyou, ILOVEyou!"
I didn't even want to look at Sora. Or Donald. Or Goofy. I didn't want to look at anything, so mortified was I. I buried my face in my hands, moaning, "We are so going to be executed for this, aren't we?"
I didn't look up when I heard a mad scuffling of feet in front of me or even when Donald started screaming furiously, sounding like he was this close to having an aneurysm, "HEY! LET GO OF THE KING!"
"NOOOO!" Mari cried, obstinate and just all kinds of insane.
Okay, time for divine intervention. Dropping my hands, I stormed forward, face thunderous. I brushed past a very confused and concerned Sora (and out of my peripherals I thought I saw him skitter back a few steps when he saw my face), reached out and pulled both Donald and Goofy aside (both of whom had been valiantly trying to pry the mouse out of Mari's python-like arms), and stated with a seething tongue, "Mari. That's enough."
Mari looked at me, giggling nervously, "Hehehe, h-hi Hikari. Y-you look . . . mad-"
"Yes," I brusquely cut her off, "Yes I am. You want to know what you can do to make me not mad anymore? Putting the king back on the floor as he was and not saying a word about this affair to me ever again," I ordered, without any room for argument.
Mari very quickly obeyed, setting the mouse back on his feet before bowing apologetically. Once done, she swiftly scampered behind me, her index fingers pressed together in mollified submission.
Donald wasn't quite through with her yet, "Don't even think of doing that ever again!" he admonished sternly.
"Uh, are you okay, your Majesty?" Sora asked, giving Mari a wary glance.
The mouse brushed off his robes before turning to him with a smile, "Just fine, Sora. Although, I can certainly say I don't think I've ever been greeted like that before."
He didn't sound angry. In fact, he actually sounded a little amused. I sincerely hoped that was a good thing.
Goofy stepped forward, announcing, "Hikari, Mari, allow me to introduce ya to King Mickey!"
So he was a king. Fabulous.
"Hey, uh . . . your Majesty," I started, not really sure if this was wise, "Sorry about Mari. She's . . . kinda like that."
The mouse-Mickey, rather-simply waved it off, "Oh, it's no bother! We've got bigger things to worry about right now anyway!"
He gestured to the fighting further down in the canyon, and everyone nodded in understanding.
Mickey turned to us, "We can have some proper introductions later, but for now, let's get to it!"
I liked this guy, I decided. Down to business, but pleasant. Definitely a lot better than most of the kings I'd read about.
Mickey began to walk ahead of us, eyes on the path ahead. Secretly, I was thankful for his timely intervention. Hopefully now, no one would question my tagging along.
That's when things started to go wrong.
Above my head, just out of sight, I heard a deafening crash and the sound of shattering rock. I whirled around in alarm, eyes turning to the sky, and I saw a huge rock whizzing through the air and heading straight toward us.
Goofy saw it too, "Look out!"
Everything happened so fast I could barely recall it. The only thing I clearly remember was spinning around just in time to witness Goofy push Mickey out of the line of fire. Only for himself to be struck instead.
The rock hit Goofy dead on, slamming painfully into his skull with such force that it sent him flying. He slid across the ground until his head hit the opposite wall harshly, legs going up in the air before coming back down with a dull thud. He did not move again.
"Goofy!" Sora cried in despair, he and Donald already running to their fallen friend.
Mickey took a few shaky steps forward before stumbling to a stunned stop, hand futilely reaching out as he murmured, "No . . ."
I stood frozen. It felt like my spirit had detached itself from my body and now I was just a spectator to a tragedy. Like I was watching through eyes that weren't really my own. Mari stumbled forward before falling to her knees, hands clasped over her mouth as sobs threatened to overcome her.
Donald had collapsed by his friend's side, shaking him and pleading, "Hey! You're the King's Captain! You gotta get up!"
His voice became desperate, "Come on! I'm sorry about the ice-cream!"
"Goofy . . . ?" Mickey asked softly, tone one of quiet despair, and I felt my heart ache for him.
What really hurt, though, was watching the last of Donald's self-control vanish as he started to openly and unashamedly sob into Goofy's unmoving chest, "Oh, Goofy . . ."
"This is not happening . . ." Sora murmured, crawling forward on his hands and knees as he frantically searched for any signs of life, "It can't be happening . . . it can't . . ."
No, it can't be, I thought to myself. How did I let that get the drop on us? How could I let this happen?! My fingers involuntarily curled into fists as anger started to seep through the shock, knuckles going white and nails biting into skin as I squeezed.
"H-he's not really . . . right?" Mari asked me quietly, tears running down the poor girl's face.
"They'll pay for this," I heard Mickey growl, and for a brief moment I was taken aback by the true and genuine anger I heard in his voice. For the short time I'd known him, all he had been was nice and unflappable. Then again, it wasn't really so surprising, was it? Even kings had a right to get angry.
I watched as Mickey turned to face the stairwell where the sounds of fighting were still taking place. With one quick and easy toss, he discarded the black robe he wore, and in its place was regal set of clothes dyed with rich red and bright gold colors. He stuck his hand out and in a flash of brilliant light a large sword-like key appeared, it's golden shaft sparkling in the fading light.
A Keyblade? I thought in wonder as I stared wide-eyed at it. So the king was a wielder as well . . .
Mickey was off, running fearlessly into battle without once looking back. Donald wasn't too far behind him, roaring in pure, unfettered rage as he charged after the king, eyes blazing with fury. Sora only half-tried to stop him, but his hand fell just short of reaching the enraged duck. I watched as he stood up and gave Goofy one last aggrieved look before following, keyblade appearing in his hand as he ran. He didn't stop to address me or Mari. I didn't expect him too.
I myself was itching for some punishment to be doled out. But before I could follow him, a hand appeared on my wrist and stopped me from moving.
Mari. Her face was pale and her eyes were downcast, but when she spoke, her voice was clear and pleading, "Please stay Hikari. You're still hurt," her grip tightened, "Please don't go."
"And sit here knowing those bastards are getting away with this?!" I demanded, pointing at Goofy's body for further emphasis, "Mari, I know you're just worried, but you can't seriously tell me that this doesn't piss you off!"
"It doesn't!" Mari shouted keenly, voice cracking, "It makes me sad!"
Whatever I had left to say died in my throat when I saw the tears again, and Mari abruptly turned away from me and began to walk unsteadily over to Goofy's body, sniffling, "M-maybe he's not really . . . you know," she turned back to me, "Maybe he was just knocked unconscious!"
Oh Mari, I thought sadly. She wasn't cut out for this sort of thing. It was a mistake to have had her come with me.
"That's exactly what happened, kupo! Don't you idiots even know how to check for a pulse?"
Mari and I both whirled around to face where the voice had come from, alarmed, and my eyes went wide when I saw the person standing beside Goofy's body.
Or, rather, the moogle.
"It's you!" I shouted, recognizing the voice as the one from the moogle we'd met when first arriving on Hollow Bastion.
The moogle gave me a brisk reply, "Yes, it's me, and you're lucky it's me, too. If this one had been left in your hands, I don't think he would have lasted long, kupo."
I narrowed my eyes at him, voice crisp, "Gee, thanks."
"I-is that really true?" Mari asked hopefully, "He's not-"
"No, he's not, kupo," the moogle replied, sifting through a small bag hanging from his shoulder. I watched as he pulled out a bright green orb, a potion, I realized, and cracked it in his tiny paws. With careful aim, he tossed it up and over Goofy's head, and I watched as the green aura surrounded him before fading away completely. Mari and I both rushed over to him, dropping to our knees as we waited with bated breath.
"Oogh . . ."
Goofy's eyes opened, and relief like I'd never known it before nearly flooded every other sense I had. Beside me I heard Mari gasp, and I could imagine the look of pure joy filling her face as Goofy sat up, rubbing his head and giving everyone a confused look, "Uh, where'd everybody go?"
"GOOFY!" Mari cried, flinging her arms around the bewildered dog and crushing him into a hug.
"Wah!" Goofy yelped in surprise, barely bracing his hand against the ground in time to keep from falling over. His confusion was quickly replaced with worry when he heard the girl weeping into his chest, and he placed a comforting hand on her back as he asked, "What's the matter, Mari?"
Mari only shook her head, so I took over for her, "Goofy, we thought . . . we all thought you died!"
Goofy seemed stunned and slightly muddled by my declaration, and I continued, "The rock?"
A look of comprehension dawned, "Oh yeah, now I remember!"
"Yeah!" I said, "And the others aren't here because they've all run off to avenge you!"
"Avenge me?" Goofy asked. He brought a hand to his chin, looking worried.
Mari's arms visibly tightened around his midriff as she started crying, "Don't ever do that again, okay? Hikari's bad enough!"
I wisely refrained from saying anything to ruin the moment.
Goofy's expression softened as he gently patted her shoulder, "Ah, shucks Mari, I didn't mean to worry ya none."
"Well, you did . . ." Mari sniffed childishly. She sat back, fists pressed against her knees as she demanded, "To make up for it, you have to buy me ice-cream!"
Goofy rubbed the back of his head, smiling "Sure, I can do that if it makes ya feel better!"
Mari sniffed once more, gauging his honesty, when at last the sad expression she'd worn up till now dissolved as a bright, warm, sunny smile lit up her whole face, "It's a promise! Pinkie-swear!"
She held out her pinkie, which Goofy promptly accepted, sealing their promise.
Suddenly, an aura of vivid green surrounded Mari and myself, and every ache and pain still lingering in my body rapidly disappeared. I looked down at the moogle, who was busily packing away his bag, "Did you just-?"
"Yes, I did," the moogle replied curtly, "If you're going down there, which personally I'd advise against doing, you're going to need as much help as you can get, kupo."
I quirked an eyebrow as I watched the moogle flap his wings and rise off the ground, making ready to fly away.
"H-hey, wait, Mr. Cutie-!" Mari started to say, standing up along with Goofy.
The moogle sharply cut her off, "My name is Lokianu, ma'am, and I would appreciate it if you addressed me as such, kupo!"
"Hey," I called out before he could get too indignant, "Lokianu. Not that I'm really complaining, but why exactly are you helping us?"
"Hm, that sounds like complaining to me, kupo," Lokianu said stiffly, and I seriously started to internally debate just how much I was willing to make Mari cry again if I decided to use this guy as my own personal baseball.
"But," Lokianu continued, "To answer your question, I'm doing this to repay my debt to you."
That got my interest, "A debt? Since when did you owe us a debt."
Lokianu's eyes narrowed, and it seemed like he was warring with himself over whether or not to answer. His pride at stake, perhaps?
With a sigh, he reluctantly began to explain, "The moogle in the quad area, being surrounded by those Nobodies? That was me."
And now things made sense! And it had totally been his pride at stake.
"Ah, so that was you as well," I commented, "Seems like we keep meeting in odd circumstances, huh?"
"Indeed, kupo," Lokianu replied, "Now, if you'll excuse me."
He began to fly away, but right before he was out of earshot, Mari ran forward and waved at him, voice overflowing with gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Loki, for helping us!"
He didn't stop, and within a few short moments he was gone.
"Cheery fellow," I said flatly.
"It sure was nice of him to help us, though," Goofy said, "But we should probably catch up to the others now. I don't want them worryin' anymore."
"Good call," I said. I turned and began to walk toward the stairs, both Goofy and Mari a step behind me with their weapons drawn. Holding out my hand, I summoned the Keyblade to my side, the golden tip glinting dangerously in the light, "Let's go."
Yes, let's go . . . down to where the real battle awaited us.
I cut it off here because I felt the chapter was becoming a little too long. Hopefully everything will be straightened out in the next one and we can finally get off of Hollow Bastion and we can see other worlds, holy shit guise!
Rate & review, if it pleases you. :)
