Chapter 10
"You're doing it wrong."
Natsumi looked over at where Riku stood, glancing between the book open in his arms and her. She frowned, standing up straight.
"What are you talking about? I'm doing it exactly the way the book says to."
"No, you're not," Riku said, turning the book around so that she could see the pages.
He pointed at the words and the faint diagrams that looked more like squiggles than an explanation of how to cast a blizzard spell. Once she had shown Riku the staff she had found in the armory, the two of them had almost immediately started studying how to perform magic. Despite staying up all night, the two of them were no closer to figuring it out than Natsumi had been on her own. She saw no difference between what she had been trying to do and what the book was showing, but maybe Riku could see something that she couldn't.
She was just about to walk over to him to see it closer when he moved first, bringing the book with him.
"See? Your stance is off." He then set it down onto the table before she could really get a closer look and her gaze snapped up to him in irritation. "You should hold your arms like this."
Natsumi's retort died in her throat as he came up behind her and repositioned her arms the way the book had instructed. It wasn't any more or less intimate than anything else they'd done before, but now that they'd put new labels on each other, it felt somehow weightier than it had before. Calling Riku her boyfriend to Maleficent had been the first time she'd said the word out loud and now that she could think past the relief of seeing him again, she couldn't help but consider the new possibilities. She could just turn her head ever so slightly and they'd be kissing again. A grin spread across her face as Riku's eyebrow rose and he smiled back at her.
"What?"
She shook her head just a little.
"Nothing, I'm just really happy you're here."
Riku blinked in surprise at her abrupt confession before his smile softened and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.
"I am too. Now, try again."
Natsumi couldn't help but roll her eyes. His no nonsense approach made her feel for just a moment as though they had never left the islands, like this was just another day, and he was trying to teach her how to spar. The thought caused her grin to shrink a little, wondering what exactly had happened to their home that night.
"All work and no play, huh?" she joked quickly to try to distract herself.
Riku scoffed, though she knew he was close to laughter, and his warm breath on her ear caused her to shiver.
"You don't think learning magic is fun?"
She huffed, scowling a bit at the staff in her hands. Of course she'd thought learning magic would be fun — who wouldn't? But after weeks of no success, not even so much as the subtlest of temperature changes, she was beginning to give up hope that she'd be able to learn after all.
"It would be more fun if anything would actually happen."
"Are you giving up?"
Her expression hardened at the question, and she pointedly reaffirmed her stance.
"No way," she said.
She reminded herself of the way the staff had glowed when she'd touched it, and the tiny feeling inside of her saying that she had been meant to find it. And if that were true, then it had to mean that she was able to perform magic, too. This learning curve was frustrating and new to her, but she was going to prove that she could master it.
It wasn't until she'd heard Riku breathe out a soft "Whoa" that she realized she'd closed her eyes. Opening them again, they immediately widened at the sight of a thin layer of frost encasing the table and chairs in front of them. Her jaw dropped as she took it in, rushing forward and releasing the staff with one hand to run it along the table's surface. The ice was already melting in the warmth of the library, but it was cold against her fingertips all the same.
Her head jerked up to look at Riku, a wide grin spreading across her face. Riku barely had time to grin back at her before she raced forward, throwing her arms around him and jumping up and down.
"I did it, I did it!"
Riku's arms wrapped around her in return, squeezing her tightly.
"So that is where it wandered off to."
The two teens froze where they stood before separating quickly, cheeks turning red. Maleficent's eyes were on the staff clenched tightly in Natsumi's hands. Natsumi looked down at it and then back up at Maleficent.
"Is it a habit of yours to take things that don't belong to you?"
Natsumi flinched slightly, but met the woman's gaze all the same.
"I'm not stealing it, it hasn't left the castle."
Maleficent's eyes flashed, and Riku's hand was suddenly gripping Natsumi's elbow.
"Be that as it may, it is not yours to use."
Her voice was even, but it didn't hide the undertones of anger in her gaze. Natsumi bristled at her words, her fingers tightening even more around the staff.
"Why is it such a big deal? Nobody else was using it! It was sitting in a dark room, collecting dust."
"Natsu!"
The blonde didn't heed his words, or the way he tugged on her arm, instead holding Maleficent's gaze defiantly. To her surprise, Maleficent was the one who broke their stare first, and Natsumi followed her gaze down to the end of the staff, gasping slightly. The orb at the end of the end of the staff was glowing brightly. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the glow went out. Riku was the first to speak.
"What… was that?"
Maleficent's fingers tapped against the orb on her staff, expression no longer angry, but instead thoughtful. Natsumi looked up and once more met the woman's eyes, unable to hide her confusion. She almost preferred Maleficent's anger, because at least that she had understood, even if she hadn't liked it. This expression unnerved her in a way she couldn't pinpoint and she fought the urge to take a step closer to Riku.
"A peculiarity." Before Natsumi could ask what exactly Maleficent meant by that, a caw ripped through the air as her raven flew over their heads and took its perch on Maleficent's shoulder. Suddenly, her voice was caught in her throat. "Very well. You may continue using that weapon. It will do you well to learn how to wield it."
It was only when Riku nudged her arm that she unfroze, clutching the staff tightly to her chest. Inexplicably, she felt a powerful sense of relief that it wouldn't be taken from her.
"I will," she said softly.
"Riku. Are you prepared to depart?"
Riku stepped forward, drawing Natsumi's attention from the staff and the fact that, though the raven was watching her closely, Maleficent seemed to have forgotten she was there altogether. She frowned, forcing herself to loosen her grip on the staff.
"Yeah, but Natsumi's coming with me," he said, reaching out to lace his fingers through Natsumi's.
Maleficent's gaze stayed trained on his face, betraying nothing.
"I fear that would be most unwise. It is apparent she is not versed in combat, and the Heartless grow more plentiful by the day. It is not safe."
Natsumi opened her mouth, ready to tell her that she could take care of herself just fine, that she didn't need magic to defend herself, but before she could get the words out Riku was speaking.
"She'll be fine. She sparred with me on the islands, I know what she can do." Riku squeezed her hand tightly, mouth set in a firm line. "I'm not going without her."
"You are aware what this mission entails, and you still wish her to accompany you?"
Natsumi turned to Riku, brow furrowed at the use of the word 'mission'. Riku didn't acknowledge her confusion, instead facing Maleficent unflinchingly.
"I do."
The woman surveyed them silently. Natsumi's gaze bounced between her and Riku, trying to ignore the way the raven's unblinking stare set her teeth on edge.
"As you wish."
With a wave of her arm, a swirling portal of darkness appeared, and Natsumi instinctively took a step back. It had been weeks since the storm on the islands, but she remembered clearly the portal that had opened up underneath her feet, and how she and Riku had been separated at that moment. Her suspicious gaze found Maleficent, but the woman had gone back to seemingly ignoring her existence.
"Go now, and I will come to collect you once you complete your mission."
"How—?"
A tug on her hand drew her attention back to Riku as he stepped forward towards the portal.
"C'mon, Natsu. Let's go."
The blonde cast one last look at Maleficent, who, instead of watching the two teens leave, had her head bent conspiratorially towards her raven. The sight gave Natsumi pause, and she had the brief thought that, like this, the imposing woman actually looked beautiful before following Riku into the darkness. As they passed through the portal, she felt at once hot and cold, her skin prickling at the sensation. She shuddered a bit, trying to rid herself of the feeling and noticing that Riku was clearly unphased.
"How is she gonna know when we're done with our mission? And what is it anyways?"
"I don't know," Riku shrugged. "She just kinda knows."
Natsumi's face scrunched in distaste as she fought the urge to look over her shoulder.
"That's creepy. Does that mean she's watching us?"
Riku grimaced at the thought.
"Maybe."
The darkness around them was a looming presence. It seemed to swallow up their voices and muffle the sound of their footsteps. Natsumi looked down, finding that the darkness wasn't as complete as it had seemed at first glance, traces of deep blue and violet running through it.
"Hey, Riku?"
"Hm?"
"Remember how you said something felt… weird about Maleficent?"
He frowned, grip on her hand tightening.
"Yeah."
"I… get the same feeling around her bird," she said slowly.
Aqua eyes met hers, brow rising slightly. Natsumi felt her cheeks warm, but continued speaking.
"I can't really explain it, but I only see it with Maleficent, and when it is around, it's always… staring at me. Like it's judging me or something. It seems…" She paused, searching for the right word, when it came, unbidden, to her lips. "Human."
Riku's eyebrow shot up behind his bangs as he echoed, "Human?"
Her cheeks flushed deeper at his response.
"I don't know how else to say it. That bird stares at me and it's like… it knows something I don't."
"Like what?" Riku asked, pulling her to a stop.
"I don't know," Natsumi stressed.
She wanted to reach up and play with her hair, or rub her collarbone, but Riku had a firm grip on her hand, and her other held the staff.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Riku said, but the expression on his face said that he wasn't so sure.
Natsumi looked down at her feet, and then back up at him. She shook her head.
"It doesn't feel like nothing."
He paused for a long moment, taking in the darkness around them. His thumb rubbed absent-minded circles over her hand, and it was a small gesture, but she felt herself relaxing all the same.
"Even if it is something, I made a promise." His eyes met hers again, and they were full of determination. "I'm not gonna break it."
Natsumi's breath caught in her throat, a smile finding its way to her lips as she could only manage to nod. Riku was with her now, and soon Sora and Kairi would be too, and they'd finally be able to travel the worlds like they'd been dreaming of all their lives. Stepping forward, she closed the distance between them to press her lips against his. His hand squeezed hers, and when they separated, both of them were smiling.
"You know what you should think about instead?"
"What?"
"How you're about to see your first new world." A thrum of excitement ran through her and she couldn't help the way her eyes snapped towards the end of the tunnel, where another swirling portal of darkness waited. "Are you ready?"
"Uh, duh!"
Riku snickered at her response, letting her tug him forward and towards the end of the tunnel. Anticipation built up inside of her, her stomach full of butterflies as she got closer and closer to stepping foot on a new world. Riku kept up with her easily and she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.
"So where exactly are we going? What kind of world is it?"
"You'll see," Riku replied with an all too familiar smirk.
Natsumi rolled her eyes, but the smile didn't fade from her face. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what kind of world they were going to. She wondered what it would be like, what the people would be like. How different would it be from Destiny Islands? After what seemed like forever, they reached the portal, and she didn't hesitate this time to step through it, feeling that same prickling hot and cold sensation as before.
As they emerged from the portal, a bright light blinded her, causing her to reflexively close her eyes and shield them with her hand. Even before her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she could hear the sounds of a bustling area, and the smell was somehow familiar to her. The chatter around her was a dull constant, some words and phrases standing out, though most of it just blended together, indecipherable. Riku's hand was still in hers and she squeezed it as she blinked roughly, trying to let her sensitive eyes get used to the world around her. When she could finally see again, her eyes widened before she was forced to narrow them again.
The world that stretched in front of them was full of people in a bustling plaza, customers in various states of dress speaking with numerous vendors offering everything from fruit to richly colored cloths to jewelry. She stared greedily at the plaza, watching the way the jeweler held up a necklace, trying to entice a woman walking by before her eyes moved on to the fruit vendor, haggling with a different woman over the cost of what looked like a watermelon. And everywhere, everywhere there was sand, making her realize why this world had smelled familiar, but not exactly the same as Destiny Islands.
The sun beat down on them, but she didn't mind the heat as she took a step forward. She couldn't keep her eyes still, trying to take in everything at once before looking over her shoulder at Riku. Before her lips parted to form her question, he was already answering it, smirk on his face and fondness in his eyes.
"Welcome to Agrabah."
A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaack! I'm so so so sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but, well, you know how life is. To be honest, I had a bit of a block with this chapter that took me some time to break through, and I've been working on other projects as well. So I'd like to send out a huge thank you to those of you who are still sticking with me, and as always, if you have time, please leave a review! Knowing you guys are enjoying the story means the world to me.