Chapter 9: To Fight Another Day
After being unable to find Daichi or Manami in the previous world, Miku left and found herself on a new world where she found herself first in a forest glen. Looking around, she noticed two castles to either end of the forest. One was white and inviting while the other looked ancient and horrible. Miku was just about to go toward the white castle when the unversed appeared around her.
"Here too?" She asked herself as she pulled out her Keyblade, preparing to fight them off.
Enchanted Dominion
Miku began striking down the unversed, first killing a flood, then a Bruiser as it came at her with a few strikes. Then as a pair of Thornbites approached, Then Miku cast thunder to destroy a few Archraven and a red hot chili.
As the unversed kept coming, Miku felt that fighting them was getting more difficult each time she ran into them. By the time she finished off all the unversed in the area, she was a bit worn out.
"Hello again." Someone called from behind Miku, startling her as he turned around to see who it was. The man was wearing brown garments with a red cape, and held a sword and shield.
"Who are you?" Miku asked as he approached.
The man stopped and looked at Miku's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was expecting someone else, I am Prince Phillip."
"My name's Miku, Who were you looking for?"
"A beautiful girl with long golden hair and lips as red as the roses. She told me to meet her here in the glen, but it appears she has not arrived yet."
"Oh, well would it be alright if I helped you look for her, I'm searching for my friends too, so I wouldn't be going out of my way." Miku said.
"Really, would you, that would be/" The man began but they were interrupted by strange, pig-like creatures jumping up all around and attacking them.
"What the, are these things unversed?" Miku wondered, but these things were probably inhabitants of this world.
Miku and Phillip tried to fend off the creatures, but with Miku already tired from fighting the unversed and the suddenness of the attack, the two of them were captured quickly and bound by ropes.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I set my trap for a peasant, and I catch a prince." Someone said, and then a women in a black dress holding a scepter walked up to Miku and Phillip. "Oh, and who do we have here?" The women asked, looking at Miku. "Well, out with it, who are you?" She asked once more.
Reluctantly Miku answered. "My name is Miku."
"Miku you say? Interesting, Take the Prince away; but bring the girl to me, I have something I'd like to speak with her about." The women told her minions and vanished in green flames.
The creatures she controlled then began pushing Miku and Phillip toward the ancient castle in the distance. When they approached the border to the castle, a wall of green flames stood in there way, but soon separated to let them through.
"Who was that women?" Miku asked Phillip.
"That was Maleficent, and evil witch that rules in the Dark Mountain." Phillip answered.
"What does she want with you, also, do you have any idea what she wants to speak with me about?"
"I have no idea, but neither can possibly be good."
"I promise, once I get a chance to escape I'll get us out of here."
After arriving at the castle, the creatures took Phillip and Miku two different directions. The creatures proceeded to taking Miku into a throne room, where Maleficent was waiting for her, and the creature left Miku with Maleficent.
Maleficent walked up to Miku. "Now then, tell me who you are." She demanded.
"My name is Miku, I've already told you that." Miku replied.
"That is not what I mean, impudent child! Why do you possess the Keyblade?" Maleficent asked, motioning at the weapon Miku still clutched in her hand.
Miku backed away in surprise. "How do you know about the Keyblade?"
"That man told me of it's power, however, he did not mention you." Maleficent answered.
"Who told you about the Keyblade?"
"He called himself Xehanort."
"Xehanort? But-"
"Oh, so you do know of him, I wonder why then, he did not mention you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Xehanort told me of many things relative to his plans and the Keyblade. He told me of three children who wielded the Keyblade, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, but never did he bring up Miku. I assume it means that you are inconsequential, so I will just destroy you here and now!" Maleficent shouted raising her scepter that glowed with magic power as she prepared to finish off Miku.
"Fire!" Miku yelled and cast a fire spell at her own feet, and catching Maleficent off guard so she had to get back. After the fire faded out, it was shown that she used the fire to burn the ropes binding her off. "No, I won't lose, I still have to find my friends!" Miku shouted.
"Insolent Fool! Do you really think you can defeat me, the mistress of all evil?" Maleficent shouted at Miku and the two of them prepared for battle.
Miku charged at Maleficent and swung her Keyblade down on her. However Maleficent vanished in green flames then reappeared in the middle of the room. Maleficent swung her rod and a bolt of lightning flew out strait at Miku. Taken by surprise, Miku held her Keyblade in front of her and the lightning bolt struck her, knocking her back a few feet but she quickly recovered and got to her feet.
Maleficent threw another couple lightning bolts at Miku, but now aware of them, she ran to the side and avoided them. Then she ran up to Maleficent and struck her with her Keyblade, and even though she managed a few hits on her, Maleficent didn't seem to get very injured as she swung her rod at Miku, but she jumped back to avoid her.
"Insolent child. I will let you know the true meaning of fear!" Maleficent told Miku, then vanished in her green flames again, appearing in front of the throne and waved her rod in the air, and Miku noticed the area around her started glowing.
Realizing what Maleficent was doing, Miku hastily jumped to the side just as lightning bolt crashed down where the ground had lit up. But that wasn't the end, as the area around Miku lit up a second time, and Miku ran away just before the lightning came, and Miku continued to run up toward Maleficent while the lightning strikes continued coming down, and she avoided each one, reaching Maleficent and hitting her a few times with the Keyblade before one last Salvo of lightning crashed down on her, knocking her down to the ground below the throne.
Maleficent vanished in her green fire yet again, reappearing in the center of the room. "Into sleep you'll fall, forever!" Maleficent called as a ring of green flames appeared around her and swiftly crawled across the ground, heading for Miku.
Miku stayed close to the wall behind her, then when the flames neared her, she jumped up and kicked of the wall heading strait for Maleficent, striking Maleficent back with a combo with her Keyblade, then jumping back a few feet and launching a fire spell, hitting Maleficent dead on, and knocking her off balance for a moment.
"I've got you now!" Miku declared as she swung her Keyblade down on Maleficent to finish the battle, but just then Maleficent vanished in fire again, appearing a few feet away.
"Do not underestimate me, girl!" Maleficent warned, and shot a bolt of lightning from her rod at Miku again.
Miku quickly ducked below the range of the bolt and ran for Maleficent. However, Maleficent readied for lightning to crash down around her to keep Miku back, but instead she continued forward, trying to get Maleficent before she got her. Miku got right up in front of Maleficent and swung her Keyblade with all her strength just as Maleficents' lightning began coming down on top of Miku.
The deciding strike was then made, both attacks made contact, just as Miku slashed Maleficent with her Keyblade, the lightning struck her back, injuring her greatly, but now both fighters were unable to continue.
Miku used her Keyblade to support her as she stood up again. "Where did you take Phillip? I'll be getting both of us out of her now." Miku said to Maleficent, but in response she just laughed.
"Foolish girl, do you really think I would just tell you?" Maleficent asked. "Even if I were to tell you were you could find him, in your condition you would never be able to reach him before getting recaptured yourself!" Maleficent scoffed at Miku's demand. "At most you could still escape my castle alone, but you would never be able to make it if you took the time to rescue the prince."
Miku took a step back, realizing she was absolutely correct. In her critical condition, there was no way she would ever be able to rescue Phillip and escape from Malefcient's castle. As she was wondering what to do, Malefcient's pig-like guards showed up and ran toward her, attempting to capture her.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Miku's mind. It was a memory of something Master Xehanort taught her, Manami, and Daichi. "You must always prioritize your own safety above all else. Do not attempt to fight a battle you cannot win. Always remember this; If you are defeated or captured, you can never complete a mission but run, and you can come back to finish what you started another time."
As Miku remembered this lesson she looked around the room again. She looked at Maleficent who was weakened, then at herself who was also weak, and finally at the many guards in front of her. With painful regret she made her decision and ran for the for the door behind her, leaving Phillip behind for another day she would be able to rescue him.
As Miku got outside Malefcient's castle, she deployed her armor and prepared her Keyblade Glider, hoping on and running for a new world, but she promised herself she at that time that she would come back to get Phillip out of there.