This chapter ended up being creepier than I intended… well, Happy Early Halloween.
BTW, I never told you guys, the background music I picked for this world is "Ancient Stones" from Skyrim.
Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!
Dragon Quest © to Square Enix!
OCs © to me!
Chapter 37: Hazy Hamlet- Puppet
"We need more sand!" Riku and Roxas held up the collapsing wall of a house. Mud caked their legs all the way up to their knees. Some of the others ran over, carting buckets of dry sand to try and create some sort of stability around the wall as other people carried over rocks to finish the foundation.
From outside the village, Xion watched as she walked beside Gemma and Theresa. "Are you alright?" Gemma asked. "You seem, off."
"I just didn't sleep well last night."
"Oh, sorry."
Xion looked over and saw a family of foxes walking on the other side of the river; all the kits followed behind their mother, but one… the smallest, the weakest, trailed behind. Suddenly, a hawk swooped down and grabbed the small little baby.
"Oh no!" Gemma cried out. "Theresa!"
The purple-haired girl leapt up, pulling a knife from her belt before throwing it at the bird. The hawk dropped the little kit. Xion caught the runt. The baby fox whimpered in her arms.
Theresa sheathed her sword and sighed. "Hawks always go after the weakest one."
"The weakest…" Xion bit her lip as she snuggled the little kit. "I guess we have something in common."
"Did you say something, Xion?"
"No."
Gemma patted the little fox. "Poor little tod…"
"Tod?"
"Male foxes are called tods and females are called vixens." Theresa smiled.
The fox looked up at Xion and yipped, seemingly afraid and curious about the one who held him. "Tod… Todd… that'll be his name then(1)."
"His name?"
"I'm going to keep him." She scratched the little creature behind the ears before whispering. "We weak links need to stick together, don't we?"
The fox kit nuzzled into the warmth of the girl's arms as she sat down to try and check him over for injuries. A shadow fell over her. "Xion?" Roxas smiled. "What's that?"
"A baby fox that got attacked because it was the runt. I named him Todd."
Her eyes looked down at the animal, seeing the small claw marks on its back. They weren't deep, but they probably hurt. All this, because he was the smallest and weakest. Would she be hurt too?
"Xion," the soft hand of her friend alighted on her shoulder, "are you alright? You look distracted."
"I'm fine…"
"You sure?" The boy could see something was off, but what did he know? He was new to having a heart, so nothing could be wrong at all. "You know I'm here if you need me."
"I know."
"Roxas!" Lea's voice wafted toward them. "Your turn for patrol!"
"Coming!" With one last glance towards the girl, Roxas moved on, taking his turn to join the patrol against slavers.
Xion lay on the dirt floor, Todd on one side and Kyokan on the other. Still, nightmares plagued her…
She found herself standing on the edge of the clock tower once again. She knew Roxas sat beside her. She knew this memory all too well.
"You've poured so much into me, given me so much, that I feel like I'm about to overflow." The words came out of her mouth like from a script. As she continued on, she felt her hood lying against her back and the strange feeling of her hair, no longer short and black, but just like Sora's, blowing around her face. "This is him. It's Sora."
Her eyes saw the confusion on her dear friend's face and the fear as she stepped out onto nothingness. Further and further until she turned to him. "You're next, Roxas. I have to make you a part of me too. Don't you see? This is why I was created!"
Her vision swirled. In the midst, she saw Roxas, fighting against her for his life. She felt her power swell and shrink as the combat progressed.
But where the dream ended, she did not recognize. Instead of herself lying on the ground, she saw Roxas, beginning to fade before her eyes. Internally, she screamed, but in the dream, her body would not obey her wishes, and instead, she heard herself laugh. "Goodbye, Roxas. It seems you were not as strong as I thought. Perhaps this is how things were meant to be? Perhaps you were the weakest one after all?"
Xion felt her heart shattering as Roxas gave her a frightened look. He didn't want to die. She'd killed him…
The girl sat up, gasping for air, startling the two animals beside her. The weakest one… was it her or Roxas? Was the thing… the signalman, was it going to kill Roxas? She couldn't let that happen! She had to protect him.
His face, as he died, all the fear… it haunted her eyes still. She never wanted to see that again. She would never let it happen. She would kill that thing tonight!
Slowly, she stood up, looking down at the two creatures. "Kyokan, stay here with Todd." She pulled on her jacket before slipping outside. Snow decorated the ground and fluttered from the heavens. The moon seemed to carve a reflective path on the snow, towards the ferry and her enemy.
The small raft bobbed on the water, sloshing the liquid onto the small shelves of ice beginning to form. It sunk down as the girl climbed on and grabbed the rope, moving herself across the stream. As she approached the other side, the ghostly apparition appeared under the lantern once again.
As she drew closer, she saw it clearly. A creature. The skeleton of a man, dripping with rotting flesh all around its body. Its face seemed to be covered by a strange, ragged sack, with one hole where an eye should be, but only a glowing orb remained. He wore a tall hat and a ragged black coat that hung open to reveal his bones(2).
"What is that thing…?"
The creature looked in her direction before stepping towards her, slowly limping as it walked.
A hand suddenly wrapped around her, dragging her backward. "So, you're the little kit he wanted me to catch."
"What!?"
"Hello, Xion." From out of the shadows, stepped a familiar figure in black. Terranort.
"What's going on!?" The girl struggled, attempting to summon her Keyblade, but the man who held her dug his fingernails into her wrist.
Darkness wormed its way up her body, locking her in place as the man released her. He stepped around, grinning, his beady eyes looked along his long, bent nose. "You said she is the best to use against the others since she is so weak."
"You did this!" Xion cried out, her glare dancing between the two men. "You're behind the signalman!"
Terranort smirked. "I want this world destroyed It is the home of Terra after all. And this man can help destroy both rich and poor. He entertains the rich and can manipulate the poor. One might argue that a man who spends his whole life entertaining would be the greatest person to bring down a world; all he needed was the power of darkness to enrich his party favors of puppeteering and hypnotism. And you will help us. But first…" He turned on the old man beside him. "Thank you for your assistance, Punchinello(3), but I believe now it is time for me to take over."
"What do you me-?"
Darkness seeped into the man's body until he slumped over. His form changed to that of a Heartless with a wax version of his own, and his body became a mass of stripes in the form of a shirt and pants with the Heartless symbol on its pointy hat. His hands turned into strange rods like the ones used with marionettes(4). The Puppeteer Heartless cackled, sending a shiver down Xion's spine. Little strings of light shot out and attached to each limb of the signalman.
"No… HEL-!" Darkness wrapped itself around her mouth, cutting off all speech.
"Do not wake the others. You must be ready to serve us, as you were always meant to…" He stepped to the side as the Puppeteer leaned down, staring at the girl; its eyes began to swirl and Xion began to feel sleepy…
"Roxas! Get up! Xion is in danger! You're all in danger!"
The boy's eyes opened at the strange voice. Was it a dream? Well, couldn't hurt to check. He stood up and went outside.
The moon shone so bright and reflected off the snow that it looked like daytime. His footsteps crunched in the snow as he walked through the slums. As he neared the river, he saw a figure standing on the opposite bank. "Xion?"
He jogged over and stopped. He looked at the girl who stood there, eyes downcast. It was Xion, but she didn't look right.
Her short hair bounced in small curls around her head. She wore a blackish-blue lolita-style dress with gray ruffles and black bows. Her eyes seemed to glow orange(5).
"Xion, is that you?"
A blast of darkness shot past his head as Terranort leapt his direction. "You've come too late, Roxas. Your friend is ours."
"What did you do to her!?"
"I have done nothing, but the Puppeteer Heartless…"
The Heartless appeared over Xion's head, cackling wickedly. Only now could he see the silvery blue strings attached to her neck, wrists, torso, and ankles. She slumped over as the Heartless hefted her across the river.
Roxas jumped away before shouting. "WAKE UP! ATTACK!"
Inside the houses, people stirred until nearly the entire slum stood outside their homes, weapons at the ready. Out of one house stepped the Petra family; their eyes meeting that of Terranort.
"Terra…?"
"Xion!" Lea gaped at his friend who dangled by the strings of the Heartless.
The Heartless loomed over the girl, his swirling eyes glinting. Sora and the others stopped in their tracks, shuddering as the thing cackled again.
"What the heck is that!?"
"I-I don't know, but we've gotta stop it!"
Terranort laughed. "The puppet has taken her rightful role with us and we shall leave her to destroy you all."
The Puppeteer cackled loudly before vanishing into darkness, leaving a floating set of rods above Xion as her controller.
Terranort moved to leave, but a hand grabbed his arm. "Terra!" His eyes moved to fix on Tamara. The woman clung to his coat as if it was her only lifeline to her son. "This isn't you. Come home, my little boy. Do not let this monster use you!"
"Ha! Do you think your feeble cries can…" the man's hand went to his head as his eyes flickered from gold to blue. "M-Mother…?"
"Yes, son. It's me."
For a moment, he looked at his mother, all the signs of Xehanort nearly gone from him. Then it ended. Gold flashed in his eyes before Terranort drew back a hand and hit Tamara, sending his mother to the ground.
"Tamara!"
"Leave her alone!" Lucis and the other protectors of the slums all stepped between her and her son.
The man in black merely shook his head. "Foolish children. You have no idea who you face."
"Maybe not," Lazarel tightened his grip on both swords, "but that does not mean we are going to sit by and just let you harm people!"
"Braver… but stupid." He launched at dark fire their way, only for Aqua to leap in front. "And you are just as foolish…" He summoned his Keyblade and lunged at his old friend.
Xion dangled at the ends of the strings, summoning her own Keyblade against her will. She slashed at her friends, flying about them. They tried their best not to hurt her. To cut the strings manipulating her, but their weapons went right through the strings.
"Xion! Snap out of it! Fight!" Lea lunged forward with his Keyblade only for the girl to hit him in the face with her Keyblade. The pyro slid backward, slamming into a building, head first.
"Wake up!"
Lea blinked, for a moment, he found himself sitting in silver grass. Two muscular arms were pulling him up to his feet. "What the…?"
"Listen, I don't have much time. When you wake up, you've got to help Xion." The voice was strong and urgent. "She is being hypnotized, held captive by a lie that is the center of that hypnotic state: the lie that she is the weakest in your group. You and Roxas have to snap her out of it. Now, get moving!" He suddenly gave Lea a strong push forward.
Lea sat up, blinking rapidly in his confusion. His eyes alighted on Xion, who now attempted to impale Kairi. The words of whoever that was, came back. "Roxas! Get over here!"
"Coming." He ran over, helping his older friend up. "What is it?"
"Don't ask me how I know, but I just do… Xi is hypnotized, and the center of that is a lie saying she's the weakest out of us. We've gotta get through to her."
"Got it!" The two lunged forward, dodging the attacks from their dear friend. As they got close, they wrapped their arms around Xion. Her eyes, faded, ringed in gold, seemed to widen slightly.
"Xion, wake up."
"Listen to me," Roxas pressed his forehead against hers, even as she struggled to throw her two friends off, "You're not the weakest in the group. You're the strongest person I know! I promise…" He held her close. "Sleep…" He cast the spell, causing her to go even limper.
Lea held his hand upwards, towards the wooden object pulling her strings. A blast of fire went up, engulfing the thing as it began to melt away. As it disintegrated into smoke, a strange voice wafted upwards with the smoke.
"You are the weakest link…"
The strings evaporated from Xion and, in a soft cloud of darkness, the doll outfit on her fell off to reveal her old look.
Aqua blocked the barrage of attacks from Terranort. Behind her, Tamara got to her feet. "Terra! Stop!" The mother sobbed as she stared at her son. "Son, please! Come back to us!"
"Silence, woman!" The silver-haired man leapt to the side, launching a dark flame in the direction of his mother.
"No!"
Aqua moved to intercept the spell, but it passed her by. Tamara screamed, but the blast never came. The flames exploded across the back of the man who'd stepped in front of her.
"Archer!"
Terra's father gasped as the fire singed his back. He fell to his knees, crying out as the pain spread across his back. Drusilla and Abigail caught him as he fell forward. Henry ran into action, assessing the injury as best and as quickly as he could.
"Father…" Aqua stared at Terranort as he clutched his head. His eyes flickered between blue and gold as he beheld his injured family. "No… you will not escape!" A dark corridor opened up behind him as he stumbled back, vanishing into the darkness.
"Your back will heal up in a day or two." Donald lowered his staff, smiling at Archer.
"Thank you… at least I know my son is still alive in there."
Aqua's hand moved to her heart. Terra was still fighting. The sight of his family… they brought him out. There was still hope.
Further away, Xion sat by the river, staring across at where the signalman, or what was really a Draugr Heartless, had been.
"You ok, Xi?"
"It was so dark. He was in my head, making me do things I didn't want to, all because of those words… How did I let him get to me with that stupid lie…?" The girl sighed as Roxas and Lea sat down beside her.
Another voice spoke from the hood of Lea's coat. "It due to your past." Jiminy pulled himself up and jumped onto the girl's lap.
"But we had that talk and everything…"
"That doesn't mean the pain will all go away at once." The cricket adjusted his hat as he spoke, smiling softly at the girl. "The pain is still there, and it will take work to overcome it. It might never fully go away. Some wounds are just too deep. You were lied to. Told that you were nothing but a puppet. How deep those words lie in your heart, I can't say, but that's why we shared our worries that night. You're not alone. When you feel those old hurts coming up and those lies enter your mind, come to us. That's what we're here for. Right boys?"
Lea's hand plopped onto the girl's hair, ruffling it slightly. "That's right. We're here for you."
"Yeah," Roxas took her hand, "if you ever need to talk, I'm ready to listen. I may not know much about the heart yet, but if my friend is hurting, I'll do what I can to fix it. Promise."
So much love. Xion felt her cheeks grow red from all the attention and tears fill her eyes from all the love she felt, even from the tiny cricket standing on her knee.
It felt… wonderful.
The boy stood in a grove of trees, watching Sora and the others mingle about.
He longed to run to them.
To tell them who he was.
To be safe.
But…
He couldn't. What would they do? What would they say? Would they believe him?
His eyes drifted to Kairi. Maybe she'd believe him. But, what if she didn't?
Then he saw… her. She would believe him. But, he'd have to explain it all to her first. Which meant he'd have to get her all alone, away from the others. That was what he had to do.
… Right?
"You'll come back soon, right?"
"Of course, and we'll come back with Terra!"
Gemma petted the tiny fox in her arms. "Sure you don't want to take Todd with you, Xion?"
"I might come back for him, but I think he'd be happier here." She smiled.
The others all talked, but Naminé stood in the back, sketchbook in hand. She worked quickly to capture the happy parting before her on paper.
"Miss." Looking down, she saw a small boy. "Someone wants to see you." His hand pointed between two houses.
She smiled and patted his head. "Thank you for letting me know." Perhaps it was one of the children she'd drawn for. Many of the children were shy, so they probably wouldn't want to be around a large crowd.
As she walked past a building, two hands grabbed her. One around the chest and arms, the other around the mouth. She struggled, trying to get her Keyblade to her. But the soft pull of a Sleep spell enveloped her as she heard a dark corridor open and soon felt the cold darkness envelop her.
When Naminé awoke, she found herself on a high platform, inside a building. She blinked at the mostly metal walls and the room full of shipping containers. Behind her sat a small window, but when she looked out…
"Twilight Town!? H-how did I get here?"
"I'm sorry," came a gentle male voice, "I just wanted to talk to you alone. I didn't really know what else to do." A young figure stood in the shadowy opposite corner of the raised landing they both stood upon.
The girl looked at him. "Talk to me? But the others…?"
"I left them a note. They'll be coming here in not too long. I told them the truth, that I wouldn't hurt you and all I wanted to do was talk. I just didn't think they would want to listen to me. But you would… so I had to get you alone, to explain things first…" As he spoke, he moved slightly, drawing nearer.
Soon, Naminé could see him. A boy of about 15 with amber-golden eyes and auburn hair. He wore a gray jacket over a navy blue shirt, black and white gloves, green jeans, and navy blue hiking boots.
She stared at him.
He seemed so… familiar. Something about him. She'd seen him before, she knew it. And his voice, it was so familiar. The eyes he bore screamed Xehanort's influence in him, but he seemed to be of his own mind right at that moment. Her eyes narrowed on his face. She just couldn't place-.
Wait!
It couldn't be…
"R-Repliku?"
"That's not my name!" He snapped, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked down. "Not anymore."
"What's your name then?"
His golden eyes lifted up, glancing out the window before they met her own. "My name… is Arata."
I'm just gonna… go.
*proceeds to moonwalk out, proud of my plot twist*
Please review!
Footnotes:
(1) "Fox and the Hound" anyone?
(2) This appearance is based on Jack the Ripper from the "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate" DLC.
(3) Punchinello is the name of a famous puppet that first appeared in the days of Charles II.
(4) Think like a super creepy puppet.
(5) This look is based on the Mysterious Onyx, the Doll Heartless from the Toy Story world in the actual KH3 game.
VAs:
Punchinello Pluto: Robert Englund (Felix Faust, The Riddler, Vulture, Scarecrow)
Mysterious voice: Roger Craig Smith (Sonic the Hedgehog, Deidara, Kylo Ren)
Drowning
Have you ever felt like you were drowning? Figuratively, not actually drowning in water. Drowning in work, stress, etc. I know I do… Sometimes we wonder why God would give us things that make us feel like we're drowning?
Many times we're told that God won't give us something we can't handle, then we get into a situation that, well, we can't handle. The thing is, he won't give us something we can't handle without him. We can't handle some things, but with his help, we can.
One such example is in Mark 4:34-41:
"35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Sometimes, we reach the end of our rope and all we can do is cry for help, and we can know that he will help us when we feel like drowning.