Author's Note: I apologize for the delay. I have been busy with work and was playing some new games I got for the past couple months. To answer someone's question regarding about the white-coated figure, he is an OC. What's his role in this story? That will be revealed in time. As for now, sit back and enjoy the ride.
CHAPTER 10: WATCH YOUR BACK
A plume of darkness appears on a tall building. Walking out of the darkness is the Sharpshooter, Xigbar. He walks to the edge of the building before looking down. He instantly smirks at the sight before him. "Looks I'm in time for the finale." On the rooftop on the other side of the alley below him, a giant Heartless charges at the Princess of Heart, Kairi. She dodges several of its passes before calling a barrier to protect herself from the next charge. Xigbar makes a sound of amusement before kneeling down. "She's good," he says after a few seconds. Kairi is now striking the Heartless with her Photon Blade, a variation of Sonic Blade where she becomes an arrow of light with each pass. After hitting it with her final pass, the Heartless shakes violently before bending backwards and the heart it contained gets released. "Real good…" he mutters. He keeps his eye on the released heart. The heart eventually disappears, the sharpshooter staring at the empty space. "She'll definitely will give me a good run for my money if I were to go up against her." He looks back to the girl, finding something more interesting, "Well, well what do we have here?"
Standing a distance away from the Keyblade Wielder, who is facing away from the Sharpshooter, is a white creature that looks more or less like a plush toy with a long, furry tail that's swishing about. But to Xigbar, it is the target he has been given to track down. "So the little critter decides to show up, huh?" he says as he stands up. He immediately summons his arrow guns before combining them into his trademark sniper rifle. He lowers his weapon to his right hand, while raising his left hand. The empty hand glows before an ethereal 'X' appears above the palm. Xigbar clenches his hand, which still glows. He places the glowing hand to the top of his weapon, which glows for a few seconds. "Now, how to do this?" he says as he tries to get a clear shot at the Incubator in his sights. An idea strikes him and decides to have a little fun with the Princess of Heart.
After a few seconds, he shifts to his right before kneeling. His sights are now on the Incubator, aiming just above Kairi's right shoulder. The Sharpshooter takes his time, taking in the full size of his target. He finally settles in a spot on Kyubey's forehead, between the eyes. The Sharpshooter smirks before pulling the trigger. His projectile soars just past Kairi's head before embedding itself into the Incubator. The force of the impact sends the Incubator flying for a few seconds. Xigbar smirks with a sound of amusement. "Bullseye," he says slowly before disappearing into the darkness.
Riku walks on a sidewalk next to an iron fence to his right, with several trees and rows of stone markers behind it. He has his hand under his chin, still thinking about the mysterious white coated person he encountered earlier today. Knowing that the man is heading to Mitakahira, where Kairi is at, he's worried about the man's possible intentions. Especially if the man can sense Keyblade Wielders, especially all the way back to Mitakahira. "Just who is that man," he asks a quiet voice. Riku recalls that the man made no move against Riku. All he knows is that the man is an outsider and has visited this world several times. He immediately recounts the man's last words; from the sound of it, the man has business not pertaining to the current crisis and has no intention of getting involved on their case.
Based on these facts, Riku convinces himself that continuing his lead in Tonagabi Town is the right course of action. He just passes an entrance to the area to his right; the gate are two, tall stone pillars. Riku's eyes widen before he sharply turns towards the entrance, identifying the land as a cemetery. "This darkness…" Riku clenches his hand before running through the opened gate.
It doesn't take him long to find what he's looking for. A group of Heartless are surrounding someone lying on the ground. "Hey!" Riku calls out before stopping and summons his Keyblade, "I'm the one you really want!" he calls out to them. Sensing his presence the Heartless turns towards the Keyblade Master; ignoring the figure they have surrounded.
The Heartless consists of three Air Solders, two Shadows, and three Wight Knights. The Air Soldiers charge at the Keyblade Master. Riku blocks with his Dark Shield before blowing them away with Counter Aura. The two Shadows meld to the ground as a Wight Knight jumps high. Riku teleports behind it after it lands and delivers a quick, five-hit combo. The Heartless falls forwards before Riku finishes it off in three more strikes. The Air Soldiers charge in once more. Riku stops them by activating a Zero Gravity spell; trapping the airborne Heartless as well as the two Shadows that emerged. Riku uses this chance and attacks all the defenseless Heartless with Dark Splicer. After delivering the final strike on an Air Soldier seconds later, all the Heartless caught in Riku's previous spell squirm from the hits they received before disappearing. The remaining Heartless are the two Wight Knights. The Keyblade Master charges in and eliminates them within fifteen seconds; using only his weapon only,
A new wave of Heartless appear between him and the unconscious person. This time there are three Darkballs along with two Wight Knights. Riku casts Firaga; hitting one of the Darkballs. Another Darkball goes in a chomping frenzy; charging at the Keyblade Master. Riku responds with ShadowBreaker; stopping its attack with the dark elemental spin and finishes it off with the light portion of the technique. The two Wight Knights jump to strike. Riku jumps as well; gathering energy into his being. As soon as the mummified Heartless land; Riku slams his weapon into the ground; calling forth small meteors to plummet the ground around him; eliminating them. Riku turns around and fires another Firaga spell; eliminating one more Darkball. Riku rolls to the side when he noticed a dark cloud right next to him. The Darkball springs out of the darkness. Riku uses Dark Splicer once more; striking the last Heartless from multiple angles before the Heartless turns to a puff of black smoke.
With no more Heartless in the vicinity, Riku dismisses his weapon and runs towards the unconscious person. The person in question is a girl in a green school uniform with a white collar and has short, black hair. Riku kneels down before shaking her slightly, "Hey, you alright?
The girl stirs as she slightly groans. After managing to get up on her knees, she slowly blinks her eyes several times. She looks at the Keyblade Master, who smiles with a sigh of relief. Riku stands back up before offering his hand to her. "Here," he says softly.
The girl looks at his face for a few seconds before staring at his hand. She takes his hand. "Th-thank you," she says as Riku helps her onto her feet. The girl stands about two heads shorter than the young man. "Are all the Familiars, gone?"
"First, the monsters that attacked you are Heartless. Second, yeah, they're gone."
The girl looks towards the ground as she twiddles her fingers in front of her stomach. "I guess, you saved me, then."
"Not a problem. Though, how do you know about Familiars?"
"Well, I'm…" the girl says to the side.
#SCAENA FELIX#
"It's okay, you can tell me," says the Keyblade Master. The girl looks up at him. "But first, what about your name?"
"Oh, its Keiko," she responds.
"Riku," introduces himself. "Now back to how you know about Familiars, you must have some connection to Magical Girls.
"A connection?"
"In other words, you know about a little bit about Magical Girls, Familiars, and Witches. And from what I can tell, you're not a Magical Girl, are you?"
Keiko shakes her head with a small smile, "You're right. I… had friends that were Magical Girls, I was even offered a chance to be one."
"But you didn't."
"It was their wish. They didn't want me to give up the life I currently have. Especially if it costs me my soul."
"So, was it their warning that stopped you?" he asks with a curious tone.
"No…See, I really don't like fighting. Even if I'm in danger or its someone else, I just don't think I have what it takes."
"These friends of yours… do you know where I can find them?" he asks with a small wave of his hand.
"Well," she says before looking to her left. Riku turns to her direction staring at a stone memorial with three names engraved on it.
Riku makes a slight gasp before looking back at Keiko with a guilty expression. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she says with a smile, never looking away from the memorial. "They used to be part of a bigger group, but they were all that's left. While they were still alive, Kyubey will come and keeps insisting on me making a contract, but they were there to remind me that no wish is worth such a sacrifice." Tears begin to swell in Keiko's eyes, still holding onto her smile. "Not only that, they told me that the fact that I can live my life normally as possible, then they know that they are still fighting for a good cause. After they passed away, Kyubey came to me one last time. I refused of course," she says with a strong tone. "Since then, he never appeared before me again."
"You had some strong friends," Riku says out loud. "But I think you are strong yourself." Riku's words prompted Keiko to look at him. "Not giving in to the temptation of Kyubey's deal of turning you into a Magical Girl for a wish."
Keiko nods before turning back to the grave marker. "That's why I come here, everyday. To remind myself of the promise I made for them. No matter what happens, even if my own life or the life of someone I care about is in danger, I would never make a contract. Besides," she looks back at Riku, "there's nothing I would really want to wish for. Even then, my friends warned me that whatever wish I made, I would eventually come to regret it."
"Life is full of regrets," Riku says after turning his head to the side. "But it's up to us to determine if we let those regrets hold us back. Even I have a few regrets." He turns back to Keiko with a small smile. "But if my choices in the past have changed, whether good or bad, I would not be standing here now."
"Riku," the black-haired girl asks.
"Yeah," the Keyblade Master responds.
"The rumor that's been going around…" she says before looking to the ground. "Are they all…"
"I'm afraid so. They are all Magical Girls more or less. And I have a good idea who's behind it." Riku clenches his fists. "Just thinking about them, what they're doing… really gets under my skin. And yet…" Riku turns to the side.
"Yet…" Keiko asks with a tilt of her head.
Riku does not respond for a few seconds. "It's nothing. If they are killing Magical Girls for the reason that I'm thinking about…" Riku shakes his head, "No, taking a life, regardless of the circumstances, is hardly forgivable," his voice filled with disdain.
"Are you okay?" she asks
"I'm fine. All I can do right now is to keep on moving forward. I still have a mission to complete after all." He turns to Keiko, "Listen, no matter what happens, believe in your own strength. Do that and who knows, you might make a miracle yourself."
Keiko looks at the Keyblade Master with a smile. "Thanks, I really needed that. I wish you luck in your mission. Take care, Riku."
"Thanks, you take care as well." Riku turns around; heading back to the cemetery's gate.
Mitakahira Town
*XEHANORT'S THEME*
The white-coated man stands on the roof of a small building, staring directly at the building in front of him; the glass-made structure known as Mitakahira Middle School. The school is a good distance away, with a stone wall surrounding its perimeter. The man continues to gaze at the school, "So…there are several of them there. Is it possible… Could what I foresaw back then?" He falls silent once more.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" an elderly voice calls to the man.
The white-coated figure looks back over his right shoulder before looking back at the school. "What brings you all the way out here..." the man asks before pausing. "Master Xehanort." Walking up to the man's right is the elderly Keyblade Master whose goals threaten the very balance of the Realm of Light. "I never expected to see you again."
"I happened to hear that a white-coated figure had been sighted here; a figure with a strong presence and power. I had come to see it for myself." Xehanort stops at the figure's side. "Now I know it is who I thought it was. How long has it been since we last met?"
"That question is quite irrelevant. I honestly thought that you have died by now. I see that your plan to come to this time has been successful."
"Everything has gone as I have calculated. Using Terra as a vessel; separating into two entities to bring together the seven lights and thirteen darknesses. The eventual destruction of said entities to bring about my return. Everything that has happened until now has gone as I have predicted. Despite the recent setback, there is without a doubt that a new Keyblade War will be upon us."
"Still obsessed with that legend I see. You truly do not know when to let it go. Now again, why are you here?"
"Is it wrong of me to see an old friend?" Xehanort asks before he focuses his gaze on the same building as the figure. His smile grows, "I see… So that's your interest."
"Xehanort!" the man says with a raised tone.
Xehanort turns his head, seeing the man looking at him directly. The Keyblade Master can sense the figure's eyes piercing through him. He looks forward once more, "Do not worry. I have no interest in that. I already have everything I need. Although, I wouldn't mind some assistance," his eyes turn to the figure on his left.
"As I told you all those years ago…I have no interest in your designs. Besides, your destiny clashes with his."
"You mean that boy? The one who saved the worlds twice; once from my Heartless, the second from my Nobody. There is something interesting about him. He is able to wield the Keyblade, even though the power is not originally his. Just a normal boy, whose ties to the hearts of many has turned him into a force to be reckoned with."
"So, despite the possibility he can still defeat you, you still intend to go through with this Keyblade War?"
"The boy has indeed become strong, no mistake about that. However, the future has already been written. I can recall that conversation with Eraqus in our youths. 'On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire.'" Xehanort pauses before continuing, "In response to this foresight, Eraqus countered that there is more to light than meets the eye, that it has the power to change the foretold future. A possibility I hope will truly make things interesting."
"Is that all you have to say?" the figures said in a somewhat bored tone.
"I just wanted to know where you stand in all of this," the Keyblade Master says before turning around before walking away.
"Xehanort," the man says, prompting the old man to stop.
"If we are to meet again, I shall take it as a sign."
The old man closes his eyes as makes a sound of amusement. "I shall look forward to that possibility. If that were to happen again, I would expect nothing less from you" the elderly Keyblade Master states before pausing. "Master Atef," he says before walking into a Corridor of Darkness
The white-coated figure, Atef, continues to stare at the building as its bell chimes to signal the end of classes for the day.
Deep inside a makeshift cavern that is a monochromatic scheme with black and white chess pieces strewn on the floor and ceiling as its stalactites and stalagmites, a young girl with green hair pants for breath. She wears a green tail coat with white linings and gold trimmings that reveal her black shirt. She has white pants and green boots with gold trimmings. In her hands is the golden shaft of her scythe. The scythe's blade appears to be made out of emerald with an intricate design that connects the blade with the shaft. She has a dull, green crystal dangling on her right earring.
Her green eyes glare at the three Neo-shadow Heartless in front of her. The Heartless in the center jumps towards the girl, who prepares herself for a counter. Before she makes a move, someone appears in front of her; slaying the dark entity. Blue eyes open from their closed lids, Riku tightens his grasp on his Keyblade before shifting to his battle stance. He leaps at the Heartless; striking the one on his right before uppercutting with his weapon on the enemy on his left. He spins around, eliminating the Heartless he struck first. The remaining Heartless swipes at him. The Keyblade Master jumps before slamming his weapon on the Heartless, eliminating it.
The girl continues to look at the Keyblade Master with wide eyes. Riku turns around, dismissing his Keyblade, "You're okay?"
"Y-yeah," she responds before relaxing her stance, dismissing her own scythe. She stands a head shorter than the Keyblade Master. "Just who are you?"
"Riku, and you?"
"Midori," she answers. "Thanks from before," she says as she puts a hand on her hip, "Never fought Familiars that strong before."
"That's because those weren't Familiars."
"Huh?" she responds, taking her hand off her hip.
"They're known as Heartless. Long story, short, I've been fighting them for a long time. Only recently they started showing up in these Witch barriers."
"I see," Moriko says as she brings a hand to her chin. "Are there more?"
"Most likely, how about we team up and take care of this Witch?"
"Any reason why you're fighting Witches?"
"One, they need to be stopped. Two, Heartless have started appearing more and more outside of these barriers. I happened to save a bystander earlier from them. I was able to trace the Witch to its hiding spot here."
"And the Grief Seed?" she asks with narrowed eyes with a flat tone.
"You can keep it. I don't need it. Speaking of which," Riku digs into his pocket. "Catch," he says after tossing a Grief Seed. "I figured you were trying to reserve your magic for the Witch, right?"
Midori looks at the Grief Seed before looking back at Riku. She repeats the process before nodding and returns to her normal attire, which is mainly a blue school uniform. She applies the Grief Seed to her green Soul Gem, which is already tainted to a good degree. Riku notices the process as exactly as Kairi described it; the darkness in the Soul Gem transfers to the Grief Seed. When it's done; the Soul Gem glows as the Grief Seed appears darker. Midori looks at the Grief Seed. "Looks like there's no more uses left for this one," she says with a straight tone.
"How about I hold on to it then? No need for you to hang on to it, right?" Midori stares at the now useless Grief Seed before tossing it back at the Keyblade Master. He places the Grief Seed in his back pocket. "Alright, ready to take out a Witch?"
"You lead" she says. Riku nods and the two proceed farther into the labyrinth.
For the next fifteen minutes, the two ran into several more groups of Heartless. As like other times, Riku does most of the fighting so the Magical Girl can preserve her magic for the Witch. But that doesn't mean she would do nothing. She would just summon her weapon and take out several Heartless that try to attack her as the majority of their enemies focused on the Keyblade Master. The two are walking side by side as they walked along the monochromatic cavern.
"Just curious, what was your wish?" Riku asks.
"What?" Midori responds as she looks at Riku.
"The wish you used to become a Magical Girl?"
"My wish…" she says before trailing off. "was to become more powerful."
"More powerful?" Riku asks with a raised eye brow.
"Yes…" the girl nods, "more powerful than my predecessor. By becoming more powerful, I do not have to worry about dying."
Riku's eyes widen at the reason. He then looks at her a solemn look, "You're afraid of dying?"
"I was," she answers with sharp eyes, "But now that I am more powerful than the Magical Girl before me; I shouldn't fear death. After all, I can handle any Witch that dares to enter this town."
"And your predecessor?"
"She died while trying to save me. I got caught in a barrier out of the blue. I…was afraid. I kept on going, hoping to escape. But instead I eventually went into the Witch's lair. I was already aware of the existence of Magical Girls and Witches. The Witch tried to attack me, but then she appeared, along with Kyubey. She fought the Witch, only to die within a matter of minutes. Kyubey asked me to make a contract. And I did just that. I sold my soul so I can become even more powerful than she was."
Riku narrows his eyes. "So you were aware that you needed to trade away your soul to have your wish granted."
"Yes," Midori says a cold demeanor. "I'm also aware if the Soul Gem gets destroyed, that's the end of my life. Even so, I wanted to become stronger."
"Quick question, was it really so you don't die?" he asks with a straight face. "Or are you trying to prove that you are a better Magical Girl than her?"
Midori glances at Riku, "My predecessor wasn't weak, but she wasn't strong either. And if you want to survive, the more power you have, the more chances you have at survival."
Riku looks at her with a solemn look before facing forward. She may have pushed the fear aside, but she is truly afraid of death. This attitude of hers. It's definitely a front so she doesn't face the fear directly. Riku looks down at his own right hand, palm open. Just like me when I started out my escape from Castle Oblivion. I acted similarly like that. I fought hard and tried to prove that I can win without darkness. Even if the impulses got too strong, it didn't feel like a total victory after I temporarily transformed. Because I used the darkness, which I hated, no…feared, I kept pushing it back. Namine's form flashes through his mind. He gives a small smile, if it wasn't for Namine to help him realize that the darkness in his heart is his alone. It was because of her, that he no longer feared the darkness and decided to use it alongside the light that was slowly becoming stronger in his heart.
The two keep on walking in silence. Suddenly, a white ghost-shaped figure appears before them. The two fall into a defensive stance. The girl wary of the being before them as Riku glares at it. Two more of the figures appear behind it and three more appear behind the Witch hunters.
*TENSION RISING*
"Familiars?" she asks with an alarmed voice.
"No, Riku answers Midori's inquiry, "Nobodies."
"What?"
"Fight now! Questions later!" Riku says as summons his Keyblade
"Alright," Midori responds before calling her emerald scythe.
The Dusks, most common variety of Nobodies, sway their bodies for a few seconds before the first one bends forward and slithers to the pair. Riku meets its charge, stunning it with a few slashes. Midori turns around and strikes at the Nobodies behind them with a wide swing. Two of the Nobodies took the hit as the third jumps in the air towards her. The Nobody hangs from the air and flails its arms at the Magical Girl, who jumps back. Riku protects himself with a Dark Barrier from two attacking Dusks. He bursts his barrier; damaging the two Nobodies before finishing off the Dusk that he first attacked. He spins with a dark aura, eliminating one of the Dusks. He immediately follows up with a light spinning attack, destroying the other Nobody. Midori swings her scythe three times; two horizontal strikes, destroying two Nobodies, before a vertical slash that pierces the ground and eliminates the last Dusk.
Four more Dusks appeared along with four Creepers. The Creepers flit around in their bird forms as the Dusks focus their attack on the Magical Girl. Midori swings her weapon in a complete circle; but all four Dusks ducked under her attack. Just as the Dusks stopped all around her, Riku casts a Zero Gravity spell; trapping the Nobodies in the gravitational field. Midori jumps up and swings in a complete circle again with a battle scream; eliminating all the Dusks this time. The remaining Creepers turned into spears before flailing about at the airborne Magical Girl. Riku appears above her, taking the hits from the remaining Nobodies. Riku raises his Keyblade. An electrical spark emanates from his weapon and a bolt of lightning hits the tip of his Keyblade before zapping the remaining enemies to nothing.
Riku lands to the ground next to Midori, who already landed. They look around finding no more of the white creatures. After confirming the area is clear, the two relax their stances and dismiss their weapons. "Care to explain?" Midori asks.
"Nobodies are non-existing beings," Riku explains. He crosses his arms, "When a strong-hearted person becomes a Heartless, a Nobody is also created. And based on what consisted of that group, no doubt they were a scouting party."
"You mean they were looking for something?"
"Yeah," he says as puts a fist on his waist before looking at Midori, "you."
"Me?"
"You heard about the rumor about dead girls? Well, those things work for the people responsible for it."
"You mean… they're hunting Magical Girls?" Riku only nods. "Do you know why?"
Riku looks to the side, "I can think of one reason…"
"And what is it?"
Riku closes his eyes. He says nothing for a few seconds, "You could say, in a way," he opens his eyes, "that your existence is a threat to their plans."
"Why are we a threat?"
The Keyblade Masters sighs, "I…don't have evidence to prove the validity of my claim. And yet…" Riku brings a hand to his chest. After a few seconds he looks back at the Magical Girl, "Well, I'm sure they won't make a move right away. There's bound to be more Nobodies in here, and no doubt they'll be aiming to take your life. Until we get rid of this Witch, leave them to me. Hopefully we can eliminate all of them so they wouldn't report back to the people that want to kill you."
"Alright," she says with a nod before walking forward. Riku stares at her. He noticed her eyes went wide for a second when she responded. The Keyblade Master sighs. I guess she really is afraid of dying, he thinks before following behind her.
For the next half hour they ran into multiple groups of enemies; a few Heartless groups but they were mainly Nobodies. The duo is running through the cavern. In front of them is a simple door. What stands out about it is that it has a blue door frame, the door itself is red with a yellow doorknob. The door is completely is out of place of the monochromatic cavern; making it the most likely the room behind it is the Witch's lair. Just as they are about to reach halfway to it, a Berserker Nobody appears in front of them. The Keyblade Master and Magical Girl stop before preparing their weapons. Five more Dusks appear between the duo and the Berserker.
Riku charges first meeting the Dusks head on. Three of the Dusks jump forward, avoiding Riku's horizontal slash, but the other two took the hit and moved back before charging at him; one from the ground the other in the air. The remaining three Dusks slither their way to Midori. Midori slides her right foot back as she prepares her scythe for a wide swing. The two on the ground spring up to attack. Midori jumps forward swinging her weapon; dodging the Nobodies on the ground and cutting through the Nobody in the air; eliminating it. As soon as she lands she jumps high as a Dark Firaga spell flies below her before separating to smaller black flames. The flames hit the two Dusks behind Midori. Riku stares in that direction with his Keyblade pointed in that direction. The two Dusks he initially fought have already been taken care of.
Riku turns his attention to the Berserker barring the duo's path to the Witch's chamber. Riku runs forward. The berserker swings its massive T-shaped weapon to meet Riku's charge. Their weapons clash; locked against each other for a few seconds before Riku jumps back. The Berserker's body suddenly shrinks and wraps around the handle of its weapon as it glows. Riku grits his teeth and prepares his guard. The Nobody hammers the ground several times; the Keyblade Master managing to hold off with his barrier. But Riku's barrier doesn't stay for long, and he gets struck with several horizontal strikes before the Nobody goes high. It shifted its angles and is now plunging straight at the Magical Girl. Midori's eyes go wide; knowing she can't block in time. At the last second, Riku appears in front of her, pushing her back with a swing of his left hand. The Berserker's attack hits Riku head on; tossing the Keyblade Master into air with a cry. After the Nobody resumes its normal shape a second later, Riku recovers in the air before dashing at the Nobody. He strikes the Nobody with a thrust, immediately going into a spin around it. The Nobody squirms for a few seconds before Riku yells loud before tossing the massive enemy into the wall. He immediately fires another Dark Firaga spell, consuming the Nobody on contact. After the black flames die, nothing remains except for its weapon which disappears in a flash after glowing for a second.
Riku catches his breath before looking back at Midori. She nods in thanks and Riku replies with the same gesture. The two slowly walk to the colorful door in front of them. They stop just before it. The two look at each other before nodding. Riku puts his hand on the yellow doorknob. He turns it before opening the door. Light seeps from the other side as the door noisily creeks open. After opening the door completely, the light consumes them.
*THE CORRUPTED*
The walls of the Witch's layer appeared to be made from long strips of colored paper sewn together; mainly red and green. The floor also seems to be composed of colored paper; consisting of blue and yellow. An inhumane screech fills the air. Crawling on the black and white checkered ceiling is a giant spider-like creature. The creature jumps off before landing in front of its intruders. It yells out another screech as the duo assesses their target. The Witch's main body is shaped like a spider. The legs consist of scissor blades; one sharp edge meets another with a joint with a black scissor handle. One blade seems to be piercing its body halfway as the tip of the other blade on the paper floor. On the head area, is a large pair of scissors serving as its mandibles. The black handles have merged with the head and the blades themselves are six feet long.
With weapons ready, the two stand on guard as the Witch stares down at them. The Witch lunges at them, closing its scissor-like fangs. The two jump in separate directions to avoid it. After landing, both ran forward; moving parallel with the Witch's body. The Magical Girl unleashes arcs of wind from her scythe cutting into the body between the legs. Meanwhile, Riku fires off multiple fire spells on the Witch's other side as well. The third leg suddenly extends out in the air before slamming it on the ground. Riku rolls, barely dodging the razor sharp scissor leg before jumping forward, unleashing a flurry of fire spells. They reconvene behind the Witch. To their surprise, the back of the Witch is lined with ravenous, sharp teeth. The Witch lunges at them again with the teeth wide open. The two jump back in time. After landing they stare down at their target as the Witch turns around to face them with its scissor head.
"A pair of scissors on the front," Riku starts saying, "and a hungry mouth in the back, not to mention those razor sharp legs, this one certainly doesn't look like to have any weak spots."
"Your point is?" Midori asks flatly.
"I'm just saying this one won't be beaten easily." The Witch lowers its body, Riku's eyes tighten. "Look out, it's coming," he says calmly. As he expected the Witch lunges at them. Wary of Riku's warning, Midori jumps back. Riku makes small steps and weaves his body, barely dodging each of the Witch's cuts as its twists and turns its head. Riku plants a foot on the ground and swings his Keyblade. He locks blades with the scissor blade on his right; effectively stopping the other blade of the pair on the Witch's head. Riku grunts as he keeps the Witch in check. Seeing the Witch is now vulnerable to a frontal attack, Midori widens her stance as brings her back her scythe. The Magical Girl takes a calm, deep breath as her eyes focus on the Witch. A stirring of wind surrounds the blade of her weapon; creating visible, wispy rings around it. She lets out a loud battle cry as she swings her weapon, creating a large crescent wave at the Witch. Within seconds, the wave barely passes by Riku as it moves between the giant pair of scissors. Midori's attack cuts deep into the Witch; causing it to rear back with a screech. Free from the blade lock, Riku takes the opportunity to jump at the monster's exposed underside. Riku delivers four quick slashes before swinging his sword upward. The impact of his last tosses the massive Witch into air. After a second, it recovers with a backflip before skidding on the paper ground.
The Witch screeches loud. Just as the Witch started screeching, Wight Knight Heartless appeared in front of it, facing the Keyblade Master and Magical Girl. Riku makes a sound of annoyance. "Leave the Heartless to me. Just focus on the that Witch,"
"All right," Midori responds.
Riku charges in attacks the Heartless. He takes out two of the six Wight Knights with quick strikes before jumping back to avoid the Witch's scissor head. The closest Heartless leaps towards Riku before spinning its arms. Riku blocks its attack before eliminating it. He turns to the other three Heartless. Behind them Riku finds Midori fending off the Witch.
The Magical Girl tries to go around to the right, but the Witch outstretches its left middle legs before bringing them down. Midori rolls to avoid the first and jumps over the second. She realizes that she is going to hit the blade on the last leg. Instinct taking over, she swings her scythe forward. The tip of the weapon hits leg and user her weapon to spring forward. As soon as she lands, the Witch is already waiting to attack with its second mouth. Jaws open wide, ready to chomp down on her. She is already aware of the second mouth and makes a diving jump. She dismisses her weapon quickly, she puts hands on the ground before pushing off into the air. She twists and turns before summoning her weapon and fires of another wave of cutting air.
Meanwhile, the last of the Wight Knights jumps high into the air. Riku meets the attack head-on. The Keyblade Master manages to block and maintain a lock on the Heartless' claws with clenched teeth. Riku cries out before pushing the Heartless away and finishes it off with a Dark Firaga from his empty hand. Riku now focuses his attention on Witch. Seeing Midori's attack hitting its mark but the Witch shrugs it off. Once again it tries to chomp her with its back teeth. Midori jumps over it and lands on the Witch. Instincts kicking in again, she yells as she runs with her scythe cutting into the Witch's back. She jumps just before she gets to the head. She skids on the ground. She looks back and the Witch is heading straight towards her with its scissor-like mandibles.
Riku runs past the Magical Girl. The Witch now focuses on him. It closes its scissor blades. Riku slides forward with his right foot ahead of him. As soon as he is under the Witch he fires a more powerful Dark Firaga; launching the Witch into the air. Riku grasps his weapon with both hands as his body glows with a black aura. Riku disappears before striking the Witch with his signature Dark Aura attack. Riku strikes seven times before appearing high above the Witch. "Now!" he yells out before diving. Midori charges forward. After ten steps, Midori jumps. She yells out as she spins several times before cutting into the Witch. At that very moment, Riku also strikes at the Witch at a perpendicular angle.
The two skid on the ground before looking back. The Witch lands on its back screeching. It tries to turn itself upright but couldn't. Eventually its screech wanes before becoming still. The Witch suddenly starts glowing. A few seconds later the Witch explodes with a bright light. After the light subsides, the two find themselves in the middle of a series of construction equipment and supplies on a broken bridge. The sky is already filled with the twilight of the setting sun. They continue to stare at where the Witch was laying. Midori dismisses her weapon before returning to her blue school uniform as she walks towards that direction. Midori stops before bending down and picking up the Grief Seed the Witch left behind.
"That takes care of that," Riku says as he walks up to her. Riku turns to his right, looking at the sunset. "Not a bad view, but I've seen places where the sunset is even better."
"What's this all about?" Midori asks as she looks at the Keyblade Master.
"Sorry, just reminiscing," he says as he puts a hand on his side. "You know, you're not half bad in a fight."
"Thanks, I guess," Midori says as she turns to the sunset. "I hate to admit it…but I can tell you're far stronger than I could hope to be." Riku looks at her with a curious hum. "How difficult would it have been, if you fought that Witch alone?
Riku stares back at the sunset, "Truthfully, I would have put more effort into it; but I think I can handle that Witch just fine."
"I see… how'd you get become so strong?"
Riku gives off a deep sigh. "Look, it doesn't matter how strong you get. If you keep looking for strength for yourself, you'll eventually lose sight of the things that matter. And before you ask, yes, I've gone that road before." Riku gives off a wistful smile, "It took me awhile, but I managed to find the path that I can believe in." Midori looks at the young man with a raised eyebrow. "But to answer your question, I became strong not just for myself." Riku raises the palm of his right hand before looking at it. "I became strong, for trying what I can do for my friends. My friends believe in me, and in return I believe in them. We continue to push each other forward. Right now, I have a friend here that I can truly count on. I just only hope that she finds the same conclusion as I have before it's too late."
"Conclusion to what?" Midori asks with a slight hint of curiosity.
Riku looks at her for a second before diverting his eyes away, "Something I'm hoping that I'm wrong about. But if what I think is true… then what I've done back then and what I'm doing now," he looks at his hand again as he trails off. Riku shakes his head before staring at the sun with a smile, "No, I can't doubt what I have done now. If I start doubting myself, I'm pretty sure he would give me a lecture."
"I see… so you've become strong…because of your friends?"
"Well, that and fighting monsters of all kinds for couple of years. And let me tell you it ain't easy. The only way you can tell if you're getting stronger…is if you are able to beat your toughest adversaries and capable of matching the strength of your rivals. If you only focus on the battles that you know you win without breaking a sweat, you're just limiting yourself. Although," Riku says before pausing as he looks at Midori.
"Yes," she says, her tone telling Riku to finish his thought.
"In your case, pushing yourself too much…may cause more harm than good."
"What do you mean?"
"It's the reason why I'm here," Riku shifts his body so he can fully look at the other side of the bridge. "What I seek is beyond this bridge…Tonagabi Town. Once there I can finally confirm my theory as well as my suspicions." Midori looks at the other side of the bridge herself. Riku turns his attention to her. He stares at her for a few seconds. For a second, he suddenly sees another green-haired girl that he came across. Remembering what happened to her, he ponders on what to do. He looks straight at the Magical Girl. "Hey. How about coming with me?"
"What?"
"Listen, I'm pretty that last batch of Nobodies we fought before the Witch was the last in that labyrinth. But there's plenty more from where they came from. Not to mention, there's the Organization."
"Organization?"
"They're the ones hunting you and your kind down. If you truly like to know why, I suggest you come with me."
Midori puts a hand on her waist as she looks at him, "You're worried about me, that's it, right? You don't want me to be by myself. Don't think I can handle myself?"
Riku lets out a slight chuckle of amusement, "Partially, yes. Nobodies I think you can handle, but the Organization, they're in a whole different league. To put it simply, even I would have difficulty trying to face against one of them by myself. But if you were to come with me, they might have to reconsider about going after you. After all, I'm part of their big plan, and they don't want anything to happen to me, well for the time being."
Midori closes her eyes with a hint of a smile, "Thanks for your concern, but I can look after myself. I may not be strong as you, but I can definitely hold my own in a fight." She looks to the ground. "But if this Organization is truly as strong as you say," she says with her voice waning. "Will they truly kill me?"
"I have no doubt about that," Riku says he says with a slight wave of his hand. "Like I said earlier, your existence poses a threat to their plans. And if there's a threat that can throw a wrench in their plans, they'll definitely snuff it out before it really throws everything off."
"I see…" she turns to the sunset. "I appreciate the offer. But I have family here. I may not care about them, but I still don't want to worry them."
"I get it," Riku says with a smirk and closed eyes. "If that's what your heart desires, there's nothing I can do to change it."
Midori nods before walking towards Riku. She stops at a few steps after passing by Riku. "Thanks for everything," she says in a quiet voice before continuing forward.
She takes ten more steps. "Hey," Riku calls out to her, prompting her to stop. His back towards hers. "Watch your back," says the Keyblade Master. "I'll come back here as soon as I can. Hopefully, I can find a way to help you survive in all of this."
She lets out a contentful sigh, "Just don't keep me waiting too long." After that she walks forward.
Riku looks at the ground with closed eyes for a few seconds. He looks up, staring at his destination. "The time has come. No matter what I learn there… I will accept it as the truth." Riku turns to his left, finding a large crate twice his size. Riku brings his right foot back. Seconds later, he jumps on top of the crate. He immediately jumps off the crate and onto the huge railing. He grinds on the rail at a high speed, heading directly to Tonagabi Town.
Author's Note: That's the end of the chapter everyone.
Midori is the last of my OC Magical Girls; so don't expect anymore.
Again, I apologize for the long delay. I do not know when I'll put up the next chapter, though.
Until then, let me know on how this story is doing so far? I hope its pleasing everyone.
Until next time everyone.
Next Chapter:
JUST AS I THOUGHT