Woohoo! Loooong chapter.
Man, guys, my mind is so dead! :D
Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs.
A Debt Repaid
"We told you, we're sorry!" Sora said for perhaps the tenth time, trying- and failing-to get my attention.
"Uh-huh," I said, arms crossed and looking away from him.
"Dude, you like, forgot about us and left," Mari added, lips pursed, "That's not very nice."
"We didn't forget about you, we we're just in a hurry!" Donald defended, though when I shot him a dark glare, he quickly waved his hands in front of his face and amended, "Besides, we knew you could take care of yourselves."
"Sorry . . ." Goofy said apologetically, head bowed as he tapped his fingers together in mollification, and just looking so damn sad that even I was finding it incredibly difficult to stay mad at him.
"Aw, Goofy . . ." Mari cooed, looking this close to giving in and throwing her arms around him before suddenly-and violently-shaking her head and stomping her foot against the floor, crossing her arms and turning away with a stubborn stance, "No! No, I will not be swayed!" She sniffled then, tears beading the corners of her eyes as she sniveled, "No matter how sad and lonely you look. I won't . . . forgive."
Another sniffle, and I pressed a hand to my forehead, muttering, "Good lord . . ."
Everyone else just stared.
"Um . . . is she alright?" Mulan asked, looking both confused and concerned.
"She's crazy," I said nonchalantly, "So in other words, she's fine."
"Okay, if you say so. Anyway, if it makes you feel any better, I'll talk with my friends once this is all over, promise," Mulan said reassuringly before trying to diffuse the situation by bringing up our objective, "In any case, let's find Shang and the Emperor. They've got to be here somewhere."
"And what about that guy?" Mari asked, tears having dried up as she pointed down to the floor below us.
Right at a man in a long, black cloak, who was standing in front of a set of large, red double doors with a golden dragon insignia emblazoned on it, looking not the least bit bothered by the fact that we had seen him. Or maybe he just straight up didn't see us, because his back was turned and he was busy fiddling with the door. If that was the case . . . then maybe we could get the drop on him!
"And that guy!" I growled hotly, grabbing the railing of the second-floor balcony with one hand and swinging my legs over it, clearing the ledge and landing on the floor below. The others quickly followed suit, jumping off the edge and landing around me, ready for a fight.
It would have been a pretty damn cool entrance, too, if a certain someone hadn't screwed it up.
"Wah-WhooaaAAA!" Donald yelped as he stumbled over his own webbed feet, tilting forward and slamming into the ground bill-first with a painful sounding thud! Everyone around him (except for me) winced in sympathetic pain and took a step toward him, but Donald quickly waved them away as he pushed himself back onto his feet.
"As graceful as the beautiful black swan," I said, smiling at him.
"Ah, shaddup," he grunted, scowling.
"Come on!" Sora ordered, and we broke into a run, hoping to get the drop on the guy and corner him before he could escape.
And maybe . . . maybe get some answers on the truth.
We cleared the hall quickly, and right as we approached him, Mulan shouted, "Wait!"
The guy flinched at her voice, clearly not expecting anyone to be around. Turing around, he straightened up and faced us fully, although his face remained hidden in the shadow of his hood.
Our weapons remained at the ready, waiting for someone to make the first move. And, not entirely to my surprise, the first move was made by Sora. Not to attack, but instead to slowly lower his weapon and cautiously walk forward, asking softly, " . . . Riku?"
Both Donald and Goofy gasped and shared a shocked look before returning their full attention to the man before them, faces intent, wary, and perhaps even slightly hopeful. I kept my weapon up, ready just in case negotiations went south.
My grip involuntarily tightened as the man reached up and took hold of his hood, everyone around me sucking in an apprehensive breath as he pulled it away.
The man revealed was definitely what one would call a 'rough-around-the-edges' sort, with a strong jaw and tan skin that was marred by long, dark scar that ran up the side of his left cheek, curving out from under his chin and ending just under his left eye. A bright, intimidating eye that glittered like cursed gold, gleaming with dark amusement as he observed us. His other eye I couldn't see because it was hidden under a black eye-patch, and I wasn't too sure if I wanted to know the reason why. His long, tied-back hair was an odd mix of black and dark gray, the colors seeming to alternate along his skull. Was this . . . Riku?
Shoulders squared, the man said, "No. Never heard of him!"
. . . Well, that answered my question.
Everyone readied their weapons as all around appeared four glowing spheres of black and white, spheres which slowly morphed into four twitching, oddly proportioned Nobodies. Their toned upper torsos resembled that of men, their heads blanketed by a thick purple cowl that obscured their faces save for one dark eye. For whatever reason, they balanced themselves precariously on one leg while the other was suspended up into the air, a large, black crossbow resting in their gloved right hand.
I looked to where the man stood, deciding he was the most important threat at the moment, only to see that he was gone. The sounds of footsteps echoed throughout the corridor, and I spun around to see the man retreating back down the hall, vanishing from sight.
"Damn it!" I hissed as the archer Nobodies surrounded us. All around, I could see even more, smaller Nobodies enter the fray, swaying on the sidelines as they waited to attack.
Time to fight. Let's clean this up quick!
The archers began to hover in steady circles around us, crossbows twitching. One floated close to me, and, teeth bared, I ran full throttle at it. Sweeping Dawnstar up, I smacked it several times in chest, leaving harsh lines across it's body, when it suddenly twisted around my last strike at floated over my head, and I felt the cold point of a crossbow bolt press into the back of my neck.
Thunk!
I dropped down reflexively, but the bolt, instead of flying over my head as I expected, hit the wall to the far left of me, well away from where I had been standing. Whirling around, I saw a glowing arrow protruding through the center of the Nobody's crossbow, and I realized what must have happened; the attack had jerked it's aim away from me, forcing it to fire harmlessly at the wall! Without wasting time, I attacked it furiously, spinning and lunging and hitting until it finally burst and disappeared.
Landing back on my feet, I sent a grateful nod Mari's way, "Thanks."
"Just be more careful, please! That wasn't fun to watch!" she replied, her smile rather strained.
Nodding, I broke away and ran toward the next one right as a rain of thunderbolts fell from the sky, crashing into the ground and striking the Nobodies all at once.
Nice one, Donald, I thought, bracing my heels into the floor as I thrust Dawnstar the archer's head, though it's cowl did not tear. Drawing my Keyblade back, I slashed it with two successive diagonal arcs that dug deep into it's thick skin (if it even was skin), when a flying shield suddenly curved around me at hit the Nobody square in the abdomen, knocking it back and making it's whole body quake before dissolving into nothingness. Arching back around me, the shield returned to it's owner's hand, and I gave Goofy a thumbs up, "Nice!"
He nodded and did the same before clasping his shield close, returning to the fight that had, for the most part, settled down as Sora picked off the little ones with ease. One archer remained though.
And it's loaded crossbow was aimed right at Mari, who did not see the danger at all.
I ran without thinking, running straight for the clueless girl as I threw Dawnstar with all of my might at the archer, watching as flames wreathed around it's body and spun like a whirlwind towards the offender. My aim had been true, Dawnstar hitting the archer hard and knocking it back . . . but not before the Nobody was able to pull the trigger, letting a bolt of pure crimson fly.
I slammed into Mari hard, sending us both flying right as a bolt of pure, white hot pain blossomed along my back, tearing a pained cry from my lips as we both tumbled to the ground. I rolled onto my stomach to try and lessen the pain, hand clasping my side hard as I struggled not to pass out.
" . . . kari! Hikari!" Mari's voice became a foothold, one I clung to desperately, when I dimly heard the sound of a familiar crack and an aura of green light washed over me, soothing the burning pain immensely.
Sitting up, I let out a gasp, "Oh, damn, that was not fun!"
"No it wasn't!" Mari yelled, shaking me by the shoulders, "Hikari, why do you have to be such an idiot all the time!?"
I winced, "Sorry. But if I hadn't, then it would have been you who became the pincushion."
She scowled, though the angry image was ruined by the tears that beaded the corners of her eyes, "That's all?" She sniffed, then slapped her hand against my chest, "You stupid . . . you stupid-head!"
I opened my mouth to speak, maybe say something to try and comfort her, when an oncoming shadow over her shoulder caught my eye.
A Dusk!
"Mari!" I shouted, grabbing her shoulder and trying to pull her out of the way.
She spun around, bow raised, when another shadow darted in front of us, blocking the Dusk's bladed hands as they came crashing down.
Mulan.
Parrying them away, she jabbed at it's abdomen and head, sidestepping it's swipes and fighting with all the poise and dexterity her rank as a soldier implied. She dispatched the Nobody a moment later, slicing it from shoulder to hip and watching it dissolve before glancing at us over her shoulder, "Are you two alright?"
I stood back up, saying stiltedly, "Better. Thanks for the save."
Mari followed, although her voice was unusually subdued, "Yeah, thank you."
Mulan nodded before sheathing her sword, and I almost stupidly asked why she was doing that when I looked and realized that no other Nobodies were to be seen. The hall was empty, and they were gone.
And all around us came the hurrying forms of three worried boys, sentences tumbling from their lips so quickly that I honestly didn't catch a word of anything they were saying.
I held up my hands, waving them down as I said, "Whoa, whoa, calm down guys, I'm fine. Mari patched me up."
Mulan came forward and placed an inquisitive hand on my shoulder, asking, "May I see your back, please?"
I did as she asked without answering, turning around with her gentle prompting and letting her examine my back, inwardly dreading at the possibilities of what could have been left behind from the attack.
"Hm, that's odd . . ." Mulan said quietly, and my shoulders tensed.
"What's odd?" Mari and Sora asked, alarm flashing in their eyes as they leaned over to look closer.
"Nothin' bad, I hope!" Goofy proclaimed, sounding worried.
"No, nothing bad," Mulan said, "In fact, there's nothing at all. Not even a tear in her clothes."
Huh, well that . . . that certainly was odd. I had felt the bolt hit me, and I had felt the pain, and something like that should have left a mark. But it hadn't . . .
Well, I guess at least my shirt wasn't ruined. That was something.
And also, cue synchronized sigh of relief from the trio! They were creepily good at doing that.
"You've really gotta stop doing that," Sora said, hand placed over his heart.
"Or at least not when no ones around ta help ya," Goofy added, eyes shining with concern.
"Reckless stupid-head . . ." Mari mumbled beside me, lips pursed and cheeks puffed out.
My shoulders sagged at her remark, an only slightly exasperated reply leaving my mouth, "Yeah, okay, fine. I'm a reckless stupid-head. Does that make you feel better?"
Mari released the air in her cheeks with a low whistle, eyeing me critically until a small smile wormed it's way to face. With a small nod, she hummed, "A little bit."
"But don't do it again!" Mari and Donald both said at the same time, simultaneously sticking a finger in my face.
I held up my hands, "Okay."
"Pinkie promise!" Mari demanded, fixing me with a steely gaze as she extended her pinkie out to me. Donald crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the ground as he gave me a stern look.
I stared at it for a moment and then let out a sigh, coming to the conclusion that brushing this off would result in only tremendous consequence for me. And if it put Mari's mind at ease . . .
Reaching out, I gently wrapped my pinkie around hers, "There. Pinkie swear. We good now?"
Mari stared at me through hooded eyes, seemingly deep in thought, when the look vanished and was replaced with a bright smile, "Yeah, we're good! But you're still a reckless stupid-head!"
I rolled my eyes as I pulled my hand away, "Yeah, yeah . . ."
Looking around, I saw the gleam of something golden lying some distance away. Dawnstar. Reaching out toward it, I called, and in a flash, it disappeared and reappeared in my hand, it's weight a familiar comfort. I had to hold onto it a bit better next time. That solved, I dismissed it and then looked at Sora, "So I guess that guy wasn't Riku, huh?"
At this, a dower, more sullen look crossed Sora's face as he folded his arms, but he remained silent.
Both Donald and Goofy looked disheartened by those words and sorry for Sora, heads lowering as an uneasy silence settled over us. It was . . . weird to see them like that.
Mari clasped her hands together, opening her mouth as if to say something before closing it once more.
"I'm sorry Sora," Mulan said softly, looking saddened by the turn of events. It only lasted for a second, however, as concern quickly replaced those feelings. Straightening up, she continued speaking, getting everyone's attention, "I can't stay. I'm worried about Shang."
The reminder of why we were even here to begin with quickly brought everyone out of their slump, Sora saying, "Oh! Right!"
Mulan nodded then turned away, running down the hall and further into the palace with all of us running behind her. We passed through several other ornately decorated halls and gilded doors before finally reaching one that Mulan quickly pulled open, rushing passed it as soon as she could. We all followed her inside.
Beyond the was a very large central chamber all done up with bright red and gold colors, the roof high above our heads and sparse save for several lanterns that adorned the corners of the ceiling. Three burgundy pillars were arranged in a row on either side of the room, bordering the walls, and on each was an intricately carved dragon, each inlaid with solid gold. A long, golden rug with ruby borders ran from the door up to a beautiful throne that sat on a raised dais, two sets of small stairs with ornately carved redwood railings on each side leading up to it. Two statues of white cranes were placed upon the front corners of the dais, staring down at whoever entered with cold, stoic eyes. At the very back wall behind the throne, taking up nearly the entire wall, was a huge emblazoned image of a golden dragon.
Sitting cross-legged upon the throne was an old man in flowing golden robes, a tall hat perched upon his bald head and his white beard long enough to rest coiled in his lap. His face was one of cool reserve, dark eyes severe and wise as he calmly watched us enter. Beside him stood a much younger man dressed in a soldier's armor, a long red cape sweeping down from his shoulders and stopping an inch above the floor. His black hair was tied back in the typical top-knot, and his chiseled face was a mask of perfect control. The face of someone who was used to taking charge and leading.
When he saw Mulan, however, I noticed the way his eyes softened, however slight it may have been.
"Your Excellency!" Mulan said, voice high and clear as she addressed the man on the throne, "Shang!" And that to the other man, who I know knew as the famous Shang, "Something terrible has happened! We saw a huge monster fly down from the mountains and head toward the city!"
The old man (Emperor, call him the Emperor!) nodded, his aura of calm never breaking, "Ah. So it is as the young man said."
Hang on, what?
He-very minutely-turned his head to Shang, "Isn't that right, Captain?"
"Y-Yes, Your Excellency," Shang said, nodding.
"You see," The Emperor continued, very lightly running a hand over his beard, "A young stranger visited us not long ago. The Captain fought the visitor, but was quickly defeated."
At this, Shang bowed his head in shame, "To my dishonor."
"It seems that young man was the one in black that I have heard whispers about," The Emperor said.
"Did he mention the name Riku?" Sora asked, trying to be respectful even though I could hear the desperation that colored his voice.
To our mounting disappointment, the Emperor shook his head, "He didn't offer his name. He was rather rude."
"Rude?" Sora asked, a spark of hope flashing across his face, "Then it WAS Riku!"
Behind his back, Donald leaned close to Goofy, and because I was basically standing right next to them, I heard what he said, "Riku's with the Organization?"
Goofy pressed a finger to his temple, voice low as he whispered, "Gawrsh . . ."
My hand tightened into a fist as I frowned, not because of Donald's question or Goofy's troubled response, but because of their implications. If the person beneath the black cloak really was Riku-ignoring the other guy-I just couldn't understand why he would act so cryptically, not to mention shady, especially toward his friend. Also not to mention his wearing of that black cloak, which by itself carried a bad reputation. And the very fact that that other guy had been here at the same time as he had, a man who was quite obviously a member of the Organization, also didn't bode well. If Riku really had fallen in with them . . .
My eyes trailed to Sora, seeing for the second time that hopeful sparkle in his eyes at the thought of his best friend being so close and okay. And I inwardly cringed at the thought of that hope being betrayed.
My frown deepened. If Riku really had fallen in with them, I would be exchanging far more than just a few heated words with him, that was for damn sure. Far, far more.
"Speaking of giving names," The Emperor continued, "Who are these young ladies that you have brought with you, Fa Mulan?"
"Ah," Mulan started, then turned to look and Mari and I.
Oh crap . . .
Stepping forward, I decided to play it safe and bow, hoping I wasn't accidentally slighting him instead of respecting him like I intended. Hey, different cultures are hard. Especially different cultures on other worlds.
"Uh, Your Excellency," I responded, hoping to God I wasn't saying something wrong and sounding awkward for it, "My name is Hikari. It's an honor to meet you."
"And my name's-!" I slammed my heel hard against Mari's foot and quickly reached up to grab the back of her neck, forcing her down into a bow before she did or said something to get us both killed.
"And this is Mari," I said for her, casting her sharp glower before standing back to my full height. She let out a pained whimper.
"Hm," The Emperor hummed, looking at me with a discerning, almost dissecting, stare , "With an introduction like that, I'll be sure to remember those names."
Oh God, did we do something wrong? Please tell me we did not do something wrong!
Why was Shang looking at us like that?!
Then the Emperor inclined his head towards us, "A pleasure."
I could practically feel the tension ooze out of me when he said that. God, I hate dealing with royalty. It was too much politics and posturing and courtesy for my tastes.
I heard Mulan let out a soft sigh of relief (something I chose not to dwell on), before finally turning to us, "In any case, why would your friend come here, Sora?"
Yes, why would he? That was a very good question. Anything to get my mind off of what had just transpired.
Sora crossed his arms, and everyone went into their own thoughts to find a suitable answer, when suddenly the entire building rocked violently.
I bent my knees to keep my balance, casting wary eyes at the ceiling as the ominous quaking slowly subsided.
"I'll check outside," Mulan said, giving a quick bow to the Emperor before turning away.
We'd only run a couple of steps when I heard Shang yell, "Mulan!"
Mulan stopped and turned back, voice brisk, "Shang-guard the Emperor! I'll be fine!" she gestured to us, "With them."
Sora looked at her, then looked back to Shang, nodding, "Th-that's right!"
The Emperor nodded, "Indeed. That is true: We need not worry while you protect us."
Behind us, Donald shouted, "Hurry!"
But as we made to leave the room, right before I turned my head, I swore I saw the Emperor's eyes pass over me one last time.
And then everyone was running for the door.
{******}
Okay, so, we didn't immediately, immediately leave, because Sora wanted to get some treasure from some treasure chests that were scattered around the throne room!
I shit you not.
He was quick about it, to be sure, but . . . really?
When we finally did get underway to dealing with whatever was outside, however, I looked at him, voice blunt, "You realize that that was technically stealing, right?"
His face flushed, immediately going on the defensive, "No, it wasn't! I asked for permission first!"
"Uh-huh," I said, not convinced.
"It wasn't stealing!" he said adamantly, refusing to back down from his stance on freelance theft, "Besides, we'll need the items later!"
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," I replied.
"Would you just-!"
"Oi, quit fighting and pay attention!" Donald interjected sharply, giving us a reprimanding glare.
Beside us, Mari giggled into her hand, doing a very poor job of keeping it quiet.
"Shh! We're here," Mulan hushed as we neared the door. As soon as she placed her hand on the large handle, she quietly continued, "Is everyone ready?"
We all nodded, weapons brandished high. With a nod, Mulan turned back to the front door and pushed it open.
Only for a huge, dragon-like face to appear in the crack, jagged maw snapping at us with a vengeance, yellow eyes glowing with rage. Mulan stumbled back, fear coloring her face until Sora placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Sharing a look and a nod, she quickly collected herself and, with everyone just behind her, burst through the open door.
We ran out into the courtyard beyond, all eyes on the sky as we watched the dragon float in lazily circles around the palace and around us. The sound of screams got my attention, and I noticed several other people out on the courtyard, possibly palace servants, completely drop their cleaning supplies and retreat back indoors, panic and fear written all over their faces. The dragon came to a steady stop in the air, hovering out of our reach and watching us with leering eyes before it tucked it's wings close to it's body and dove down to the ground.
And it was heading right for us!
The Heartless glided mere inches over the ground, and we all dove to the side as it passed us, dodging it by a hair's breadth. Clambering back to our feet, I watched Sora and Mulan break into a run after it, and we all quickly followed their lead.
Sora jumped and caught hold of the creature's curled tail, holding onto into with one arm as he helped Mulan climb aboard as well. Following his example, I sprinted a few more steps and launched myself into the air, chest hitting the dragon's tail with a sharp, "Oof!"
Mari, Donald, and Goofy all jumped onto it beside me, and we all clambered onto the back of the dragon as it began to climb higher into the sky, doing our best to fight against the wind as it threatened to tear us off.
Time to slay a dragon! From on top of a dragon!
The dragon roared and I heard the sound of sharp clanging accompany it, perhaps from his weird crash cymbals he had in place of legs.
"Everybody hold on!" Sora yelled, grabbing hold of one of the many protruding horns on the creature's back.
I did likewise, wrapping my arms around it like it was some kind of long lost lover as the dragon pulled up into a sharp spinning loop in an attempt to throw us off. The wind tore at my hair and I had to shut my eyes, feeling a rush of blood go to my head during the tight spin. Soon after, however, it rightened itself again, and I let go feeling only slightly light-headed.
Everyone began wailing on the creature's horns, and I gritted my teeth as Dawnstar slowly chipped through one as the dragon let out another furious shriek. Beside me, Sora was slamming hard into a spike on one of it's shoulders, mask one of pure concentration as he slowly chipped his was through it.
That was when the horns began to light up.
I pulled my swing back just in time to keep it from connecting as a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and hit the Heartless's horn, as well as every other horn on it's body, lighting it's back up in a brilliant flash of yellow that brought tears to my eyes from the intensity. A small wave of electrified air blossomed out from each horn, so while I did avoid the worst of the blast, I still ended up taking some damage from the aftershock left behind, making my hair frizz out from the charge.
Not deterred, Sora quickly demolished the spike on it's shoulder, which made the dragon's entire body convulse in pain as it roared. I only managed to get one last hit in at that point, because the dragon spun in a tight circle, tilting forward so it's head was low to the ground and shaking us off like refuse as it pulled back up and spun high into the air.
I flipped around so I landed on my feet as opposed to my face, Dawnstar glimmering in my hand as I watched the dragon hover well out of our reach. Growling, the Heartless curled into a tight ball, fanning it's orange wings out to their fullest extent as jagged arcs of electricity began to gather on it's horns. With a hum of static, the collected energy traveled through the bony digits between the membrane it's wings and began to gather at the tip of each hooked claw, growing larger and larger until at last eight rays of lightning exploded to freedom. They honed in on us, and we all had to scatter just to avoid them. One hit the ground behind me, one spark connecting with the heel of my boot, and I hissed at the sharp, stinging tingle that raced up my calf. It wasn't painful enough to stop me, however.
I saw Mari unleash a volley of arrows, each one bouncing harmlessly off the dragon's thick hide. Well, except for one that struck true and managed to take of the very tip of one of it's horns, which pissed it off to no end.
With a roar, it smashed it's cymbal-like feet together in a cacophony of noise before flying over us, the clanging feet dropping . . . bombs.
It was dropping bombs!
"Oops, I think I made him mad!" Mari shouted, eyes wide.
"Run for it!" I yelled, running out of it's line of fire.
The bombs fell like a waterfall across the courtyard, bursting into huge balls of fire and smoke that, unfortunately, hit several as they tried to move out of it's path.
"Wah!" Goofy yelled, frantically trying to put out the fire that started on his pants.
"Ai!" Mari screamed, ducking as a burning chunk of leftover bomb flew over her head and splashed her with a shower of hot sparks.
Donald got it the worst by far, frantically running back and forth and leaving a trail of smoke behind him due to the fact that his tail feathers were currently on fire.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!" Donald yelped, waving his arms up and down as if he were trying to take flight to escape the pain.
Mulan acted quickly. Speeding Donald's way, she reached down and scooped up a small wooden bucket (perhaps left behind by those servants) that was sitting on the ground without breaking her stride, water sloshing over its rim, and right when Donald crossed her path, she stopped and hurled the contents of the bucket right at him.
The water soaked Donald straight to the skin, no doubt, but as the fire on his tail died with a small hiss, all he did was slump over with a relieved sigh, "Thank you . . ."
Mulan nodded and tossed the bucket over her shoulder, the wood clattering across the ground with a series of dull thuds. Another angry roar sounded off, and my eyes returned to the dragon that was still reeling in the air . . . only this time he had a passenger.
Sora was doing work on it's back, smashing into the other small spike on it's shoulders with a vengeance in a series of graceful spins and strikes that almost made him look like he was dancing. I could only wish I got that good someday. With a final thrust, the spike went up in a puff of black smoke, and with one last convulsing spasm, the dragon lost control and tumbled into the floor below.
"Now's our chance!" Mulan shouted, sword flashing as she rushed it.
"Alright!" I shouted, charging with a stoked grin on my face.
Hey, what can I say? I've always wanted to slay a dragon.
Using the dragon's crooked teeth as a springboard, I jumped up and began to bring the pain, slashing into it's twisted orange horn despite the vibrations every strike sent through my bones. Mulan was standing beside me, balanced precariously between two of it's jagged fangs while still jabbing at it expertly as a hail of arrows rained form the sky, Mari putting in extra effort as she fired arrow after arrow at it's head. Sora was busy with the other horn, hitting it in tandem with Goofy, who was bludgeoning it with his shield and leaving more than just a few good dents, while Donald sent volley after volley of ice magic it's way, coating the horn in a brittle casing of frost.
Unfortunately, the dragon regained it's senses and decided it had had enough. Shaking it's head and throwing us all back, it flapped it's wings and flew back up into the air, the powerful gusts tearing at my clothes as it floated up and out of reach again.
Spinning back to the other side of the courtyard, the dragon sent another hail of electric arrows at us, which this time I dodged completely. Mari's own arrows continued to bounce off of it and Donald's fire magic sloughed uselessly over it's hide, and I gritted my teeth in frustration. Damn thing was invincible so long as we couldn't reach it's horns!
Tucking it's wings in, the dragon swooped down with the intent of plowing us into the ground, but clearly, Sora was having none of that. As soon as it came close enough to him, I watched with nothing short of awe as he boldly slid underneath the dragon's stomach and proceeded to unleash holy hell on it, striking it's chest again and again until he hit it so hard he actually managed to toss it-it as in the entire dragon-back up into the air, where it hovered for only a few precious seconds before falling back to earth and hitting the ground hard enough to make it shake. Sora landed just in front of it, knees bent, head bowed, one hand braced against the floor while the other hand held Oathkeeper out, looking, to put it mildly, badass.
Prone once more, we exploited the opportunity to wail on the dragon again, and if I kinda continued to watch Sora out of the corner of my eye with maybe a small hint of jealously . . . well, whose looking?
Once again, the dragon shook us away and took to the sky once more, though it looked far more banged up than compared to when it first engaged us. Which was good. But, like before, it stayed up out of our reach, growling dangerously and ignoring the small arrows Mari sent it's way. Ugh, there had to be something that could hit it while it was up there that didn't require jumping on it's back!
The dragon roared again, and in an earsplitting clash I'd become familiar with, it slammed it's cymbals together once more and unleashed another storm of bombs.
My eyes widened as a thought struck me, Wait . . .
Everyone ran to the side, avoiding the worst of the assault like sane people would. I did the same.
Except as I ran, I also pulled my arm back and hurled Dawnstar up into the turbulent firestorm above, golden flames wrapping the blade in a familiar blanket of fire that was quickly swallowed by the waterfall of bombs that continued to fall.
A tiny, almost invisible spark of gold flashed from deep within the black mass, when suddenly the entire thing exploded into a massive river of fire a second later, one that blew up with such force it actually pushed me down, a wave of heat washing over my body a moment later from the writhing firestorm above. The dragon roared in pained confusion as it was pushed higher into the sky, mind no doubt reeling as it's own bombs turned against it and seared the underside of it's body.
I smirked, saying to myself, "Not so nice when it happens to you, huh?"
Injured and spent, the dragon spun in the air and landed on the palace stairwell, slightly scorched orange wings gripping the railings as it panted.
"Nice one Hikari!" Sora shouted, running forward.
"Thanks," I said, smug smile still on my face. Hey, it felt good!
"Goofy!" Sora shouted, and a small flicker of confusion filled me at the understanding nod that Goofy sent Sora's way. What was-?
A bright, intense glow suddenly surrounded Sora's body, the sound of a shattering glass accompanying the white light that seeped into his clothes. Red bled across his black clothes, from his shirt to his pants to even his shoes, making the outfit much more vibrant than it had been before. Even more amazing than that, a second Keyblade appeared in his other hand, gleaming proudly in the light of the remaining embers that continued to hang in the air. And suddenly he was shooting forward at speeds I couldn't even begin to comprehend, landing blow after blow after blow on the dragon's horns with swings so powerful a trail of white light flowed off the tip of each of his Keyblades.
"WHOA!" Mari yelled, jaw dropping.
"That's-!" I stumbled over my own words, unable to form a coherent sentence in the wake of my shock. Just what the hell was going on here?!
"It's okay!" Donald reassured us, sending another spell the dragon's way, "That's supposed to happen!"
If he said so! All the same, I think I could be confident and say we had this battle in the bag.
The dragon seemed to know it too, but before it could meet it's end, it decided to give us one last goodbye gift. Lowering it's head, a thick collection of electric energy began to coalesce between it's horns, the orb growing larger and larger with every passing second. As an added bonus, it also wasn't giving us the chance to escape, because two shining walls materialized into existence and boxed us in, so the only way we could move was toward the dragon.
"Hit the deck!" I shouted, falling to the floor.
The dragon unleashed all of it's pent up energy at once, a huge beam of electricity flying down the 'corridor' we stood in and making my hair stand on end as it passed me by. It was so lethally powerful that I still felt the effects, feeling it sear against my exposed skin like a really bad sunburn. Son of a mother, that hurt!
"Ouch!" I ground out as it ended, clambering back to my feet with a wince.
Mari hurried to my side, ponytails managing to stick straight up from all the static clinging in the air, "You okay?"
I nodded, "Yeah, now let's finish this!"
She nodded back, smiling, "Okey-dokey sir!"
We faced the dragon once more, watching as Sora continued to put the hurt on it, and I said, "Now Mari!"
"Oh yeah!" she yelled, releasing an arrow into the sky.
At the same time, just like before, I let loose a stream of fire that wrapped around the arrow and created a spear of glowing flame that shot through the air like a shooting star . . . and piercing through one of the dragon's horns dead center, the entire horn cracking as streams of fire bled between them seams just as Sora finally broke through the other, slicing that one in two.
The dragon spasmed and jerked as it's body began to dissolve into motes of shadow, wings flapping wildly as it tried to fly away. It gained some height, but it's power quickly left it, and soon it was tumbling back to the earth, roaring it's last roar as it met it's end.
And my heart practically stopped when I saw Mulan standing right in it's shadow, in very real danger of being crushed.
She saw this too, turning to start running away when she tripped over a wooden bucket that lay just behind, sending her sprawling to the floor.
We had all begun moving, when suddenly another shape blitzed passed all of us and ran straight for the fallen woman, yelling, "Mulan!"
Shang?
Yes, it was Shang! The caped captain was running like there was no tomorrow, fearlessly crossing into the falling dragon's shadow and shielding Mulan with his own body and as the large Heartless finally hit the ground . . .
Only to burst into hundreds of flickering shadows that harmlessly floated away into the air, and amidst all that, a lone, shimmering heart rose up into the sky, leaving only a fine trail of muted sparkles behind.
I sighed in relief as Sora excitedly punched the air, yelling, "Way to go!"
Shang pulled Mulan back to her feet, bodies brushing together as the two made eye contact that did not break for some time. Neither let go of the other's hand.
And here was where it became obvious to everyone that there was much more going on here than just a captain rescuing a soldier. Mari sucked in an excited breath, pressing her hands to her cheeks as she watched with starry-eyed happiness as the boys gave the two either stares of amusement or teasing.
Placing my hands on my hips, I broke the moment, "So, would you like us to leave you alone?"
Both turned to look at us, realized that we were watching, turned back to each other, realized what they were doing, and proceeded to quickly pull apart, faces going red and chuckling nervously as they tried to play it off as if nothing had just happened.
"The tension . . ." Mari whispered in delight, "So intense . . ."
Luckily for Mulan and Shang, they were saved from further awkwardness when a loud whistle and boom got everyone's attention, and we all looked to see that the sky above the palace was alight with the vibrant display of fireworks. Bright oranges, vivid reds, cool blues, and soft greens painted the sky with sparkling streamers of color, the shadows of the approaching night banished under their light.
{******}
Later, after injuries were looked at and patched up, we had reassembled in the throne room, standing in a line before the Emperor as he addressed us with the same sage calm he had when we'd first arrived. Although this time, an underscore of gratitude accompanied it, "Once again, you have served China well. It would please me to reward you. What is it that you wish?"
That got everyone's interest. Well, Donald's mostly, who clapped his hands together in glee at the mention of 'reward'. Goofy's stomach growled then, and I could wager a guess on where his mind was going. They both turned to look expectantly at Sora, who had placed his hand against his chin, thinking, "Well . . ."
Dropping his hand, he continued, "You say a guy in black came to see you. What did he say?"
Well, I could think of a few more rewards more glamorous than that, but whatever. Even the Emperor seemed surprised, white eyebrows rising just a fraction, "That is all you request?"
"Yes," Sora replied, and I had to stifle a laugh as both Donald and Goofy slumped over in disappointment.
"Dragons have crossed our land and left a great web of paths," The Emperor said, going full Wiseman mode, "These dragons wield much power, and they are the source of many gifts to both man and nature."
Voice taking a darker tone, he continued, "But it would seem someone of evil intent disturbed one of our dragons, and transformed it into what you call a Heartless."
"It is my belief that this young man came to warn me of that danger," he said honestly, "Then, I could alert and prepare my troops."
"Did you?" Sora asked, perhaps a bit impertinently.
The Emperor laughed, "I was about too, but then he told me the situation had changed."
Shang picked up the story from there, "He said three 'wise guys' had arrived, and that they would take care of things."
At this, Sora's face lit up, saying, "That's gotta be Riku!"
Beside me, Donald and Goofy shared a concerned look, and I could quickly guess why. So when Goofy finally gave voice to their worry, I wasn't all that surprised by his question, "But what's he doin' hangin' out with Organization XIII?"
"No idea," Sora replied honestly. But when he looked at them, there was only a warm smile on his face, "But at least I finally know he's okay. That's good enough."
Wow. Now that is faith. But I refused to rain on his parade with my cynicism.
Donald and Goofy both seemed to accept this, with Donald nodding in agreement, "Yeah, that's good!"
Their request fulfilled, the Emperor turned to Mulan, asking, "Now then, Fa Mulan. Do you have a request?"
Mulan lowered her head, stumbling slightly as she began to request, "I'd like Shang . . . I-I mean . . . well . . . The Captain . . ."
When she trailed off in uncertainty, the Emperor, in perhaps the most animated way I'd ever seen him, leaned forward, urging, "Yes, yes, my dear. What is it?"
"Could the Captain have a vacation, please?"
Everyone's eyes went to the Emperor, even Shang's, who looked quite surprised by her request.
"Just ask him out, just ask him out, just ask him out," Mari chanted quietly beside me, and I rolled my eyes.
"I hardly expected such humble requests," The Emperor commented, rising from his throne for the first time, "In this case, I'm afraid I must refuse."
Oh. I guess humble requests were too much to ask for then.
"Captain Li's responsibility is to protect the Emperor," the Emperor continued, walking to Mulan as the girl's face fell, "And yet, Mulan . . ."
Mulan instantly looked up, smothering her dejection in a matter of moments, "Yes?"
The Emperor inclined his head to her, and with a question that startled everyone, asked, "Would you like to serve alongside him and protect me?"
"What?" Mulan and Shang asked together, both caught off guard by the request.
"Two reeds together are stronger than one. But the choice is yours alone," was the Emperor's simple reply, making it clear that he was not going to offer this position again.
But Mulan's answer was already on her lips, smiling eagerly as she bowed with barely restrained excitement, "Thank you, Your Excellency!"
Shang came to her side, a soft and approving smile on his face as he looked at her with an expression I could only call pride. No words needed to be said between them. I understood that Mulan already knew how he felt.
Mari sniffled a bit, brushing away a tear as she watched the (okay, pretty sweet) moment take place with a doe-eyed look before clasping her hands to her chest and sighing. Everything's a soap opera with her . . .
Meanwhile, Sora's own face had softened considerably, observing the two with a happy smile, when I guess the emotions became to much, because he quite suddenly reached up to quickly swipe at his eyes, banishing tears. Goofy and Donald both came over to him with Goofy placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, and when he realized he'd been caught, he looked away, embarrassed. Ha . . .
"Now, one last matter should be addressed," The Emperor said, and, to my surprise, he turned to face me, "Your name is Hikari, correct?"
"Y- . . . Yes, sir," I said, unsure of I should be concerned about being put on the spot or not.
"And you are Mari?" he asked, turning to the blonde-haired girl.
She nodded, grinning, "Yep!"
He nodded, as if confirming something to himself, "While you may not be soldiers, it would be rude of me not to also commend you for your aid in this battle. For that, you have my thanks, as well as the thanks of China."
"Ah, thank you," I said, nodding. Okay, a thank you. That's not so bad.
"But with that said, there is a matter that concerns you, Hikari," he said, and I stared at him. What did he mean by that?
By now, everyone was interested, glancing between me and the Emperor with expressions ranging from curious to worried to suspicious all in one go.
"Hikari, what'd you do?" Mari asked, and I shot her a glare.
The Emperor held up a hand, "It is not something she, herself, has done. Allow me to explain."
Folding his hands into the folds of his sleeves, he began, "Long ago, a young woman came to China seeking something, and her search led her to my palace. Times were tumultuous and chaotic then, it was by chance that she arrived at the time when my life was being threatened by assassins. She defeated them, and in doing so, also saved my life. Now, what she was seeking, she did not say, nor did she ask for any reward for her deed. And, like your friend," he inclined his head toward Sora, who abashedly scratched his cheek, "She refused to leave a name. But a debt remained between us, one that I began to doubt I would ever fulfill. Until now."
He withdrew his hands from his sleeves, and in one, he carried a rolled scroll tied together by a cord of silver thread, "She returned not long ago, and informed me that a young woman bearing the name 'Hikari' would very soon arrive at my palace. Calling upon that debt, she asked that I deliver this to you. What is inside, I do not know."
He held it out to me, his dark eyes appearing to gleam gold in the lantern light, "I believe you know the woman of whom I speak."
I stared at the scroll. I stared, and I stared. No way . . . there was no way . . .
A hand took hold of my shoulder, Mari's voice sounding far away, "Hikari?"
"Is she okay?" I heard Mulan ask.
"I don't know," Sora replied, sounding anxious, "Hikari?"
My head dropped a fraction, the tresses of my hair shading my eyes from sight as my hands started to tremble, voice low as I asked, "Let me guess . . . she didn't give you a name then, did she."
The Emperor shook his head, "No."
I gritted my teeth hard, feeling my blood start to boil under my skin, but I refrained from lashing out then and there as I accepted the scroll. The effort made my voice seem stilted and forced, however, and I knew that everyone could hear it, "Thank you."
He nodded, voice soft, "I can see that this has troubled you, and for that, I apologize. But it was something I could not refuse, as a debt is a debt, and debts must always be repaid. And now, mine has."
If he had anything else to say I didn't hear it, because I turned on my heel and walked as quickly as I could towards the door, not looking back even once, and as soon as my foot crossed the threshold and I was out of everyone's sight, I broke into run.
Why, why, why? was all that crossed my mind, tears blurring my vision as I ran, Why would she do this? Why couldn't she just talk to me? Why is she hiding from me? Why why, WHY?!
I crossed what felt like hundreds of hallways, running mindlessly until at last I burst out into the palace courtyard, savoring the fresh air as it brushed against my face. I ran a few more steps then stumbled to a stop, leaning against another gilded pillar to catch my breath as I furiously tried to wipe the tears from my eyes. But the feelings of hurt, anger, and even betrayal, refused to subside.
The scroll in my hand felt heavy. An urge to throw it as far away as I could welled up within me, and I knew that if I didn't do something about it now, I would do something I more than likely would later regret. So, smothering the urge, I shoved the scroll into my bag and out of my sight.
But the knowledge of it's presence still burned.
Footsteps. Footsteps were coming my way, hurried and restless and damn it, I didn't want them here right now! But coming they were, and so I devoted what little time I had left to getting, if not quite my emotions, then at least my face under control.
"Hikari?" Sora asked, coming into my field of vision. Heh, he looked so worried . . . he should stop doing that.
". . . Hey," I said, voice so low it was almost imperceptible.
"Whaddya mean 'hey'?" Donald demanded, then, a bit more softly, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Yeah, Hikari, ya ran off in a huff," Goofy said, sounding very concerned, "And you're not lookin' to good, either . . ."
"Ha, is that so?" I asked, tone still bland and vacant.
"Hikari, what's wrong?" Sora asked, sounding more and more alarmed as the seconds ticked by, "Just talk to us!"
And then someone else was stepping between me and them, arms spread out like a shield, Mari's voice clear and strong as she said, "Stop it."
"Mari-?"
She cut Sora off, "I understand that you're just worried. I really, really do! I'm worried too. And," she glanced at me, then turned back to them, "And we'll talk about this later, I promise. But please, leave Hikari alone right now. This is . . . really, really personal. So please . . ."
She lowered her arms, and a heavy silence settled over all of us like a cloud of ash.
Another set of footsteps approached us, and I heard Mulan's voice, "Hey, is she alright?"
"Uh . . ." Sora fumbled, eyes filled with uncertainty over my well-being, "She's . . ."
I needed to get myself together. Seriously. This moody brooding wasn't helping anyone! So, doing my best to force down my inner turmoil, I took a deep, deep breath, stood back up, and said, "I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have acted the way I did."
I glanced at them, slightly shame-faced as I added, "Besides, we're supposed to be celebrating, aren't we? Not everyday you slay a dragon, right?" I looked at Mulan, "Not to mention your promotion."
Mulan blushed a bit, swiping a lock of hair out of her face, "It is a great honor. But I had help getting there."
Her eyes fell to us, the gratitude there plain for all to see.
"Nah, we only helped a little," Sora said, and though his smile was small, it did it's job in lightening the atmosphere.
"Oh, don't be so modest," Mulan said, smiling back at him.
More approaching footsteps, and then Shang appeared at Mulan's side. Nodding towards us, he said, "You fought well today, soldiers. The palace would have fared far worse than it did had you not been here."
The trio in front of me graciously accepted the compliment, saluting, "Thank you Captain!"
"And also," Shang continued, placing a hand on Mulan's shoulder, "A feast is to be held in Mulan's honor, and the Emperor wishes to inform you that you have all been personally invited."
"Ooh, now that sounds like fun! You'll all come, won't you?" Mulan asked, face eager.
A round of looks were exchanged, but right when Sora opened his mouth to speak, Goofy's stomach let out a long, low grumble. Goofy shyly placed a hand over his agitated stomach and rubbed the back of his head as Donald let loose and laughed, and, with a smile, Sora said, "Well, on that note, why not?"
Both Donald and Goofy looked at him, then look at each other, excitement making their faces glow.
"Oh boy!" Donald shouted joyously, bunching his arms up to his chest in anticipation as did a little hop of happiness.
"Ooooh, a party! With food and music and dancing and fun, fun, fun!~" Mari trilled, rocking back and forth in her excitement, "I can't wait!"
"Excellent!" Shang said, "I'll let the Emperor know right away!"
And he went to do just that, but not until he shared one last departing look with Mulan before leaving. Goofy and Donald continued to talk animatedly about the party as Mari chatted with Mulan about the potential cuisine, all lost in their own individual groups as we headed back to the palace doors.
But before I entered . . .
I sidled up to Sora, not quite making eye contact with him as I started, "Hey, um, about before . . ."
"It's okay," Sora reply was soft, and his smile was a gentle one, "You don't have to say anything right now. Besides, we have a party to get to!"
I smiled, appreciating his understanding of my need for some space on the subject. Later, perhaps, but not right now.
His smile became cheeky, and of course, he had to ruin the moment, "So put on your best silly face!"
"Ha," I scoffed, eyes narrowed, "Only if you put on your best bruised face."
"My best bruised face?" Sora asked, confused.
"Oh yeah. I'll even help you put it on," I said, lightly cracking my knuckles between my palm.
Realizing what I was getting at, he put up his hands, shaking his head, "N-nah, you don't need to do that! Hikari, wait-!"
I lunged at him and he retreated with a yelp, and as everyone else's laughter washed over us, I could almost forget about the heavy weight that sat in my bag and on my heart.
Almost.
{******}
High, high on one of the curved roofs of the palace, a lone figure sat, green eye examining the group below him with an unbroken vigilance. The chains wrapped around his leg and arm jingled softly in the cool evening breeze, the metallic clinking of the links the only sound.
A crackle of static buzzed in his ear and, without taking his eyes off his mark, he reached up and flicked the communicator on, "Yes?"
"Report," was the curt reply.
"Nothing has changed. She remains unaware of the situation, as do her companions. During her travels, she has shown signs of great physical and magical improvement as well as great mental acuity when it comes to battle. Other than that, everything is going as you planned," was his short, simple list.
"Understood. Keep your watch. Report if anything goes amiss."
"Yes sir," a frown, then, "Sir, what do you intend to do should something go wrong? And her companions-"
He was cut off by a brusque rebuff, "Those issues are none of your concern. You have your orders. Follow them."
Static, and the line went dead. With a sigh, he shifted into a more comfortable position, eye returning to the group once more. To one in particular.
With a tight frown, he whispered just under his breath, "I hope you know what you're doing."
Ooh, spooky! I wonder what'll happen? :P
Anyway, in all seriousness, was the dragon fight okay? I've been tearing my hair out over it for so long now, like, seriously. And I apologize if there weren't as many funnies in this chapter as you'd like, but I needn't to get the emotional crap in somewhere.
And can it be? Hikari's mom?!
I don't know, you tell me. :P
Rate and review if it pleases you. :)
G.G till next time! Have a heart. 3