All righty then! I'll bet you weren't actually expecting me to be on schedule with this update! XD Well I am. And chapter fifteen is exceedingly long. Thirty-and-a-half pages in my journal. And chapter sixteen is very near completion (depending on when I post this.) If you will notice, in the previous chapter regarding James' age, I changed it from twenty-nine to thirty-two. Late twenties is just too low to ask for o.0; So I'm pretty sure ffnet actually deleted several of my reviews for the last chapter, so if I don't reply to someone, that's why.
Anywho, thanks for all the support with the last chapter!
ArmoredSoul: Wonderful movie, don't you think? I loved it except for...well, you know. Thanks muchly for teh review!
TheDreamChild: Yes, I know why. But now that I have the proper loopholes, this story isn't as AU as expected! YAYNESS!
Destinysway114: Glad you were able to discern the meaning of that on your own, mate. Oh, and I dunno why, but whenever I think of Kirby with a sword, I automatically think 'Link.'
Little Miss Sparrow: I understand completely. Yeah, you could say it was sort of what happened...ish...in certain parts...and stuff... Have you seen it yet? If so, did you LOVE it? If not, GO SEE IT A.S.A.P!!!
Stormwake: Aww, I'm glad the story was on your mind! It maketh me feel all warm and fizzy inside. Yeah, Jones' 'funny line' was kind of out of place, but it was definitely something he would do to mock the noble during his dying breaths... -sob- Hmm, Norritia...how about Nia Jalma... o.0 Nah... Anywho, with all my loopholes, this may not be so AU after all! I'm happy! And thanks for the reassurance concerning Mary-sue-ishness. It means a lot. -huggle-
Authoressinhiding: And no doubt I am eternally grateful that you took the time to review a second time. Yeh, James makes me want to cry too. Well it did...but now I'm better! Yay!
EvilChibiHikari: Haven't heard from you in ages, mate! Good ta see yer name! Your own Pirate-Party sounds like it was a lot of fun! Thanks for the lovely review.
Jess is a Pirate: No worries, luv. You reviewed just in time! Yeah, we do need to get Liz out to see it. But it's oki. We don't need to rush; she said it herself that she can be patient. Have fun with, uh...life... XD
Disclaimer Authoress: -sniffsniff- -sniffsniff- -sniffsniff- Ah...A franchise.
Jerry Brickheimer: -shoots- ... My franchise.
Chapter Fourteen: Brief Normality
Countless voices converged to become a single buzz. Amy sighed as she strode across the parking lot, asphalt wet as the snow melted in the quickly-rising heat. How was she going to pull this off? At least in excuse for last week, her parents had written a note saying she'd come down with the flu. But what about all the other times she wouldn't be here? Wouldn't they be just a tad bit suspicious if she was out with the flu every other week? School. She took the steps two at a time and wandered to a corner between a brick wall and windows, outside her cafeteria, and set down her pack, sitting and mindlessly fingering the golden puzzlepiece that hung from her neck. That was the other thing—how was she going to concentrate on school when she was busy worrying about Jack?
"Todd!" a voice broke her out of her thoughts.
She looked up to see her best friend rushing forth to greet her. "Jimmy!" She rose and they proceeded to poke each other with a short exchange of meows.
"Where have you been?! You've been gone fore like two weeks!"
"One week and two weekends," she corrected in a Jack-like fashion.
Jess (for indeed that was her non-drag name) facepalmed, blue eyes giving her friend a look. "Yeah, but what happened? You could've at least called or something!"
"Well it was kind of short notice, and where I went doesn't get phone service. I'm really sorry—if I had known when I was going, I would have told you. ...Sorry."
"Oh, okay," Jess replied amicably. "What were you doing, anyway?"
Amy thought a moment. She had to word this just right. "...Helping a friend."
"Aww. That's cool."
"He's dying," she said suddenly.
"Oh!" Her best friend hugged her.
"But there is something can be done that might get him better, and that's what I was helping out with."
"Aww." Jess patted Amy's head. "I hope he'll be okay."
"Me too." She sighed, then suddenly perked up. "So, getting off a disappointing subject, where is everybody?" Jimmy shrugged. "Liz?"
"She was feeling kinda homicidal yesterday, so I think she's staying home today."
"Oh. Hope she feels better. What about other-Amy?" The name was too common!
"With Tom."
Stupid boyfriends. Ames frowned, muttering something mutinously about a 'deserter'. "And Rosie?"
"I dunno. I think she went to Sweden."
"Already? Ahh! So it's just us then!" She conjured an imaginary Keyblade, leaning into a fighting stance. "Wanna work on that cosplay?"
"Amy, there are people here."
The young pirate's eyebrow rose. "So?"
"Wow, can't beat that logic!" They grinned. "I just don't feel like it today."
"Oh, okay. Maybe when I see Hilary she and I can do something. You want in?"
"We'll see." So instead, they quoted 'The Village of DDR' and 'Final Dance Fantasy'... and'Cup of Ramen', too, until the bell rang. Unfortunately, though, they had no classes together. Time before and between few certain classes were all they had. ...And any time outside of school, but it was rare if it was ever in person—they lived so far away from each other—so it was nearly always in Instant Messaging. Occasionally—very occasionally—by phone, in which case the bills would shoot way up when conversations lasted about three hours. (The Authoress facepalms here.)
Classes went, and there were the incessant questions about her absence that bombarded her the whole day and irked her to no end. As she was walking home, nearly suffocating under the huge number of books and papers she had to bring back in order to catch up on the rest of her work, she already missed the Caribbean. But school! She'd already missed so much of it during her previous adventures, though, and she was still making up some of the work from then! Then a thought hit her. What about the weekends?
—————
"No. Absolutely not," her mother rebuked upon hearing the suggestion.
"Why not?"
"You'll be missing church."
"Would you rather I miss school?"
"That's not what I said." She glared at her daughter, who only blinked and crossed her arms, knowing her mother so well that she knew the look was insincere. "But I want you to go to church."
"I'm secure in my faith, Mom," the girl assured her. "And you'll miss me less when it's only the weekends."
"And what about us-time?" her mother put on a playful pout, sticking out her lower lip.
Ames smiled and hugged her. "Just as soon as I get done making up everything that this debate I keeping me from."
"Oh all right. In that case, no T.V. or laptop unless your homework requires it." They released one another,
"Foin," she sulked maturely. Her mother laughed. "So yeah, I was thinking that if I left after dinner on Friday nights, we would have enough time as a family to share our adventures, and I would likewise have more time in a weekend to try to help Jack."
Mom considered her. Her plan did make sense... (of course it did! it always did!) ... "Look at you, making your own decisions like this. You're so grown up!"
She patted her mother on the head. "Yeah, I know" she said modestly. "I gotta go get the rest of my work done. See you in..." She paused to count on her fingers. "...about ten hours. On, and dinner. Dinner's good too." Her mother chuckling, she left for an afternoon of boredom.
—————
Amy presented her idea to Tia Dalma later that week, and the Voodoo Priestess agreed that it seemed like a sound plan. So, the week went by, and Friday came round once again. Amy led Pongo to the mounting block and swung easily into his familiar saddle. She had been a little late in arriving as her weekend homework had taken her a little longer than expected to complete—so now she didn't have to worry about boring her behind off waiting for the less experienced riders to saddle up and mount. She swung her leg onto her horse's shoulder and pulled up the flap to adjust the girth, simultaneously giving him a nudge to get going. Adjusting her stirrups, she squeezed him into a trot and joined the lesson.
Jumping was different today. It was deemed warm enough for the horses to jump outside again. Only the most advanced riders, though, for the ring was larger, with more room for error, the horses went faster (especially since it was cold) and the jumps were higher. Thus, only Amy and her twelve-year-old friend Molly went outside, instructed to take a short trail ride while their trainer jumped the young'uns inside. "I'm excited," Amy murmured as they walked down the road. One of Pongo's ears twitched to catch her voice. "It's been so long since we rode outside. I mean the last time I did, it was last summer, remember? And that was my first time."
"Yeah," Molly grinned. "That was funny."
Ames made a face. "Shut up," she laughed. They turned off the road and onto a gravel drive that led between two crop fields to the crop-and-dairy farm next door.
"You wanna trot?" the young blonde asked.
"When don't I?"
"Good point." And with that, they nudged their horses into a trot and posted to the halfway point before slowing, turning around, and walking back. "Which course do you think Amy'll make us do?" (This was also the name of their trainer. Seriously—the name is TOO common!)
"I dunno. Either outside-outside inside-inside or outside-outside-outside inside-outside-inside." 'Outside' or 'inside' referred to a line of two jumps. There were two lines on the ring's outside and two lines crossing through the middle.
But, even though she knew the courses like the back of her hand, it was strange to be jumping outdoors again. When the time came, Ames steered her faithful steed to the rail and nudged him into a canter. He picked up the correct lead, even though he preferred the other. She steered him around the corner and to their first jump, giving him a confident squeeze. About three strides away, his strides became curt and bouncier, as if asking 'Are you ready? Are you ready?' and they sailed over the first fence, and six strides to the next.
Approaching the next outside line at the other side of the ring, Pongo put in an extra stride just before the jump, where Amy had thought he would have taken off, and the rhythm was briefly distorted before they sloppily hopped over the fence. Her trainer called out to correct her. Five strides to the next jump, and that one went beautifully. They managed the tighter turn to the inside line and flew over both fences without flaw.
The next turn was tighter, and the lass was unprepared when her steed cut the corner a little and sped up toward the barrels. They jumped them clearly, however, and as they landed she checked his speed, counting their rhythm as they sped toward the final jump. One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two, one... They sailed over the final jump, and she pulled him up to a stop, giving him a pat on the neck. "G'boy. Not bad for me being so rusty, hey?"
Dinner seemed to fly by, and after a quick shower, a change back into now-clean pirate gear, and a thorough goodbye, she was off.
Her judgement was a little off, however, for when she appeared in the swamp, she fell another ten feet to the sucking mud which closed around her. Hands stuck in the mud, she could not wave the stuff away magically. Hmm, she thought irrelevantly. Gonna hafta work on this later... She squirmed and tried to kick out, but t no avail. She was stuck. "Oh, darnit..." Footsteps on the soggy ground reached her ears, and she looked up. An unfamiliar armored figure was approaching, and in the deceiving dimness of twilight as the sun set, she could not make out its face. "Who's there?" The figure continued closer without answer until, as the shadows deepened, it stood before her. It was a man, she could tell, but that was all. He bent over her and, taking hold of her upper-arms, hauled her out of the muck. "Hey thanks, mate, I appreci—whoa!" she cried out as the man abruptly began to drag her by the arm off in one direction. "You know, you could at least wait until I've finished thanking you before you start dragging me off... Who are you anyway?"
The mystery man didn't answer, and with a sigh, Amy had to follow. After a few silent minutes, they reached firmer ground. There, the stranger reached into a small pack slung over one shoulder on his back and pulled out a flintlock and what looked like a small club. "Whoa, what's that for?" He didn't answer. He instead pointed the pistol sideways and held it to the bulbous end of the club. The gears in her mind began to turn as she started to recognize the action, and she jumped in surprise as the firearm discharged. The flintlock sparked and lit what was actually not a weapon, but a torch. The flames flared, then settled, casting a flickering light on the face of her 'rescuer.' "Oh G-d, James!" she yelled, a hand over her heart. "You seriously scared me!"
He looked at her in nonchalant concern. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "I am now. Thanks for getting me un-mucked."
"Not a problem. What are you doing so far out, anyway?"
"Far out?" It was true. She looked around and saw not a shack in sight. She couldn't even hear the gurgle of the river. "I had a good time riding and I think my mind was still on it when I was coming."
James rolled his eyes. "Teacher was right—your focus does need honing."
She looked him up and down. "What are you wearing, anyway?"
He rolled his eyes. "And attention span." She ignored the comment, circling him observantly. He was in fact wearing some leather sort of armor, which looked to be crudely made, though reliable. Strapped to his back, his thighs, his ribs, chest, shoulders, knees, elbows, forearms...etc: that was where the plates were thickened and layered. On the undersides of these places, as well as on his upper arms and midsection, was a sort of leather suit—skintight, thick, and yet flexible and easy to move in. His boots had changed. They were tighter and thinner in material, as well as lighter in color. The folded region only came down a couple of inches instead of to mid-calf, and indeed the footwear looked almost dainty. His waist was circled by two belts, which were loaded with his weaponry and including a second sword she hadn't seen before. When she stared a moment, taking in the whole get-up, he snapped his fingers in front of her, and she saw he wore fingerless, padded gloves. "Mouth hanging open, love." His hair was longer and bushier, too, and his beard groomed and well-kempt.
She shut it, grinning embarrassedly. "So...should I even dare to ask?"
"Yes. Maybe you will be able to get a straight answer out of her," he replied curtly.
"Huh?"
"It was Teacher's idea. She had someone make it. When I asked, all she said was that I'd be needing it."
"So what are you doing out here then?"
"What does it look like? I was taking a hike to try and learn how to move in this wretched outfit, and I heard you make an impromptu landing. Now come on, let's get back and get you cleaned up."
She sighed and followed him, wondering why on Earth Teacher wanted him in armor like this. After perhaps a mile, they reached the shack.
"Ya took longer in coming than ya said," they looked up to see Tia waiting for them on the porch.
"Well my, uh, estimation was a bit off and..."
"Her mind was adrift," James explained. "She landed about a mile out and managed to get herself stuck in the mud."
"Ya haf' ta learn ta focus, chil'!"
"I know. And I wasn't. And I should have. And I will."
"Good. Clean up quickly—we mus' make up for los' time."
She obeyed, Norrington hanging effortlessly from the ladder as he kept an eye on her. "I'm not going anywhere, you know," she said, her back to him, still feeling his gaze as she splashed water over herself.
"I know, but..." He faltered. What, James? What do you need to say? "I missed you."
"You don't deal with this kind of stuff very well, do you?"
He shrugged, sliding into the water. "It's just...it's so quiet here without you...and it feels so empty."
"Aww. So that kind of missing."
"What?"
"Well, you can miss someone because you know you won't see them again or for a long time, or you can miss someone because their presence has become something you take for granted, and then things become awkward having said someone gone."
His brows came together confusedly. "Whatever you say, pet."
"Exactly."
—————
Later, a now-clean Amy and an armoréd James sat at the table across from Tia Dalma. "We will use d'ese claws ta find another form of Jack. Choose which."
Ames thought a moment. "How about Jack's laugh?" James' eyebrows rose. "What? We could use some laughter."
Teacher nodded, cupping the crab claws int her hands and giving them a shake as she closed her eyes. She murmured an incantation or somesuch in a language foreign to both sets of ears, and the claws dropped to the table in one big clump. Amy sat and inspected them. It would be hard to tell where they pointed depending on which world they were in.
Minutes passed and James came around beside her, setting a glovéd hand gently on her shoulder. "See anything you recognize, pet?"
"Nmmh..." She pointed to a shape made in the claws. "I know this. It's a rock structure I've seen before."
"That's great. Do you know where it is?"
"It's in a place I know fairly well."
"Perfect. Let's go."
"Now hang on a minute. It's a place with dangers the likes of which you've never seen."
"Same with your cooking." She shot him a look. "Sorry, go on."
"I don't want you going."
"What?"
"You heard me. I'm serious."
"If it's as dangerous as you say, then there is no way I am letting you go alone. And there is nothing you can do to stop me coming." There was a long pause as she registered and accepted his decision. "Where is this place, anyway?"
"Kingdom Hearts."
Seven pages long. Still pretty long considering my average. Just you all wait until chapter fifteen. It'll be really long, coming from me! Oh, and for those of you who care, the treacherous content of the second chapter will soon be rewritten and reposted, so worry not! Well, I'ma go sleep now. Meh, still too lazy to edit (which I am increasingly sorry for!)
Review!