So, here's the second chapter for the week. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty - Six: Another's Footsteps
Roxas scrambled awkwardly away from the puddle, eyes stretching wide. "What…how did…?" he stuttered.
"Dude, I think he's lost it," he heard one of the squirrels whisper.
"I'm not crazy," he informed them, though his mind was hardly on the conversation. How did I change form without magic? he wondered. Then, remembering back to the strange occurrence in the Gummi ship, he mentally kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. The lights! They were what caused it!
Of course, remembering the experiences in the Gummi ship reminded him of Xion. Pain lanced through him, and he tried to force it away. Turning towards the squirrels, he asked, "Did you see anyone - or anything - else come off Spirit Mountain." His voice held a dull, emotionless tone to cover up his sadness and guilt.
The two animals seemed put off by his changed tone. "No, just you," one replied slowly.
Roxas nodded, and shakily stood to his feet. I'd better get looking, he thought. Angel may not be able to be trusted, but I still need to find Shadow. He felt a grimace curl his facial features as he walked unsteadily away on four legs. I…I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's deaths.
"Hey, where are you going?" he heard one of the squirrels call after him. He ignored the voice. The squirrel ran and jumped ahead of him. "Dude, why won't you answer me?"
"Just leave me alone, alright?" he growled in response. A part of him told him that he shouldn't be so mean, but the remainder was too wrapped up in guilty memories to care. He swerved around the surprised looking squirrel, continuing forward.
"You know, that wasn't very nice," a new voice informed him. Blinking out of his thoughts, he lifted his head to see a bear cub sitting before him. "Why are you so grumpy?" he asked.
"I'm not," he replied, his tone flat. He began to head past the cub.
He followed beside him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." No.
"Really?" The cub frowned up at him. "You don't sound alright."
Roxas closed his eyes briefly. "Please, just leave me alone." He opened his eyes again and continued to trudge forward.
After a few moments, the bear cub caught up to him again. "I'm Koda!" he informed him. "What's your name?"
"Roxas."
"Roxas?" Koda asked, wrinkling his muzzle. "That's a funny name." Roxas ignored him, eyes fixed firmly ahead. "Hey, wait!" Koda called after him. He bounded forward, matching his pace to the Nobody's. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean."
Roxas exhaled slowly. "It's fine," he murmured.
"Hey, where are you going?"
At first, he wasn't sure he was going to answer. Then, looking at the cub, he found himself replying, "I need to find a friend."
"Hey, maybe we can help!"
"We?" Roxas asked, curious despite himself.
Koda was nodding vigorously. "Yeah! Me and my brother, Kenai!" He bounded forward. "Come on!" Sighing, and deciding maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea, Roxas sped up his pace to follow.
"I'm bored!" Shadow complained. She and Angel, still trapped in each other's bodies, had been traveling through most of the day.
Angel glanced back at her. "Then amuse yourself. You're usually good at that."
That's because I used to have you to make fun of. She felt pain burning deep inside her heart, and tried to push it away, though tears still pricked the corners of her eyes. She turned her head away, looking at the trees around her to try and alleviate her boredom and forget about Angel's betrayal. Her eyes wandered slowly through the breaks between the trees. She gave a tired sigh. "I'm still bored."
"Hey, look up ahead," Angel called back to her.
Shadow turned to look where his finger was pointing. "A village," she sighed with relief. "Maybe now we can get back in our right bodies." She shot a glare at him. "And then you can leave."
Angel clenched his fists, eyes narrowing slightly. Then he shook his head. "Let's just go."
"You're not the boss of me," Shadow replied, though she went anyways, stalking past him.
She walked into the village with Angel just behind her. Her eyes scanned over the huts comprised of wood and animal skins, and the village people, also adorned in animal hides. Glancing at the clothes that covered their bodies, she groaned. "Wow, we must stand out like sore thumbs."
"Doesn't matter," Angel murmured. "Let's just find someone who can help."
Her eyes shifted briefly towards him before training back on the path before her that led deeper into the heart of the village. She strode forward, calling out as she went, "Hey, you!"
One of the villagers stopped to look at her. "Yes?" he asked.
"We need help," she informed him as she reached him.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What kind of help, sir?"
"Sir?" she queried, then reminded herself that she and Angel had switched bodies. "I'm not-"
Angel's hand covered her mouth as she tried to correct him. "We had some trouble with…magic," Angel informed him carefully.
He gave them a curious glance, but didn't ask any questions. Instead, he pointed to the outskirts of the village. "If you want help for magical things, see the shaman who lives on the outskirts of the village. She can help with just about anything." Angel nodded thanks for both of them, then pulled Shadow along in the direction he had pointed.
She managed to struggle free of his grip before they got very far. "What was that for?" she hissed.
"I don't think it would have helped much if he knew we'd switched bodies," he informed her.
"And how would it have hurt?" she asked.
"Think," he hissed in reply. "We don't know how often this has happened before, or even if its happened at all, apart from us."
She stopped where she was. "Think?" she asked slowly. "This is coming form the guy who started to Time Racers to do something that could destroy the universe?" Angel flinched at her harsh words, but she pretended she didn't see it. She stalked past him, hating the cold feeling that still remained inside her.
They traversed the remainder of the way in grim silence, which, surprisingly, Shadow didn't mind. She wasn't sure what she'd say, anyway, if Angel said anything. Probably just something else hurtful. She blinked away tears, missing the companionship they'd once shared…even if most of that had included her driving him crazy.
When they reached the hut, Angel stepped forward and hesitantly pulled back the flap that covered the entrance. "Hello?" he called out.
A woman glanced up from where she sat in the far corner of the hut. "Yes?" she asked as the two teenagers slipped inside. "What can I do for you?"
"We've…had some trouble with magic," Angel began, seeming hesitant.
When he paused, the woman interjected, "Magic? Can you tell me anything about it?"
"Yeah," Shadow replied quickly. "It-" Angel cut her off with a glare.
The shaman gave him a look. "No, let him speak. I need to know what happened if I'm going to do anything to help."
"I'm not a guy," Shadow explained. At the confused look the shaman gave her, she added, "That's what the magic did; it made the two of us switch bodies. But we want to find out how to get back to normal."
"Hmm." The shaman closed her eyes, seeming to go into deep thought. For a long while silence reigned, until the point where Shadow felt she had to say something or go crazy. Then the shaman's eyes snapped open, cutting her off before she could even utter a word. "This magic; how did it happen?"
"Well…" Shadow trailed off, mind winging back to the Gummi ship. "Our-"
Angel once again put his hand over her mouth. "Not a good idea," he hissed to her.
Again, the shaman glared at him. "Do you want help or not?" More gently, she added, "I can tell just by looking you're not from this world."
"What?" Angel asked in surprise.
"You know about other worlds?" Shadow mumbled through the hand still covering her mouth.
The shaman nodded. "Yes. So don't be afraid to say anything about it."
Freeing herself from the hand, Shadow stuck her tongue out at Angel in victory, then began her story again. "Our Gummi ship - that's what we use to travel to different worlds - went crazy and started flying towards your world. Then, these bright colored lights came in through the Gummi ship. When they swirled around us, the Gummi ship just all of a sudden disappeared, and we fell. The next thing we knew, Angel and I woke up with our bodies switched."
"I see," the shaman said slowly.
"Don't feel bad if you don't understand a word she says," Angel informed her with a sigh. "She's too hyperactive."
"Meh, your boring," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him again. She saw his eyes flicker, and suddenly remembered all he'd revealed. She looked away quickly, eyes shadowed. It had felt more like before this whole crazy incident.
When she looked back up at the shaman, the wise old woman was giving them a sad smile. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to change you two back."
"What?" Angel exclaimed in surprise.
"So…I'm going to be stuck as Angel forever?" She half hoped the comment would get a response out of him, but, like when he'd spoken to them before, his eyes were fixed steadily ahead.
"No," the shaman replied, eyes sparkling with an odd light. "I simply said there was nothing that I could do to help. You can get back to normal, though."
"How?" Angel queried.
"Go to the summit of Spirit Mountain, where the lights touch the earth," the shaman replied. "There, you may be able to change back.
"Cool," Shadow said, nodding.
"But be warned," the shaman said as they turned to leave. "The spirits wouldn't have done this to you without reason; they will not change you back unless you've learned the lesson this change was meant to teach."
Shadow looked at her as Angel pushed his way out. "Do you know what it is?"
The old woman was giving her a sad smile once more. "Child," she whispered, "I think, in your heart, you yourself know."
Shadow blinked in surprise before following Angel's lead out into the world once more. She didn't know what lesson she was meant to learn; all she knew was that she wanted things to go back to normal.
Although, she admitted to herself, in her heart, she meant more than just getting their bodies back.
That's the end of chapter thirty - six. What did you think? Reviews would be great!