Chapter One: A Twisted Wish?
Duke:
Things had been rather quiet since Dragonus and his henchmen crashed into the ocean not long ago. We had won the championship on the ice and peace for the world off of it. Things should have felt pretty good then right?
However there was a big thing lingering over all of us. Nosedive exclaimed so quite elegantly one afternoon, "I can't believe we're stuck here!"
Our leader gave a sigh as he patted his brother's shoulder, "I know baby bro. I had hoped one day we could return home too."
I shrugged at these words by this point.
"Don't you care that we won't see our home again?" Nosedive questioned when he noticed my half interest.
"Ya know, for a while I thought I did; but I don't really have much ta go back to now that I've had time ta think about it," I admitted while leaning back against the galley wall, "That doesn't mean I don't understand how ya feel though kid."
"We would be heroes now! We completed our mission!" Nosedive reminded me.
"Besides weren't you given a full pardon Duke?" Wildwing asked, "You could start a fresh life on Puck World."
I shrugged again, "I guess I could have. But I guess I rather like the one we've made here now that we have it. We're heroes here too Wing."
"I guess so, but it would have been nice to see our families again," Wildwing pointed out.
"I understand that," I agreed with a tinge of regret in my tone that I tried to mask.
"Are you okay?" Wildwing then asked me with concern as he picked up on my disinterest.
"Yeah, I'm alright Wing," I assured as I stood up straight now.
"It's been too quiet for our ex-thief it appears," Mallory teased as she entered through the galley entrance now.
I forced a smirk to appear on my beak when this was said, "Yeah, that must be it. Not enough adventure now adays with Dragonus an' his men under water. The occasional bank robbery doesn't get enough energy out for me."
"Duke weren't you the one that told Phil to be careful what you wish for?" Wildwing warned.
I gave a light chuckle, "I did. But I don't think wantin' some adventure is too harmful a desire?"
"I rather like that it's been calm lately," Tanya commented as she and Grin joined us.
Tanya then walked over to Wildwing and started talking with him about some new gear she was building for us. Nosedive quickly pulled Grin over to watch their favorite cartoon on the galley's little television. While Mallory began preparing her own breakfast. This gave me the chance to slip out of the room unnoticed.
With a quick stroll down the hall I found myself at the base of Drake One. I looked at it as though to give some sort of signal that someone somewhere needed our help. Yet it mocked me with it's silence.
"You agree too do ya?" I asked.
After another minute or two I shook my head. My heart and body grew restless as I thought of something to do. I thought perhaps I could use some practice on the ice, but then decided that wasn't what I needed.
While I pondered over this I then felt something strange beneath my boots. Was the floor vibrating? Living in California I briefly thought it was the stirrings of an earthquake, yet the trembling remained contained beneath my feet.
"What the heck?" I questioned as I hit a button on the control panel.
Our display case then rose to reveal our treasures from past advetures. My attention quickly gravitated to the star sword as it shook violently. As I reached out to grasp the hilt of the glowing blade I noticed as the light around it began to fade. Then the blade itself began to darken as though turning to stone for a moment. Grabbing the hilt now it began to glow again, but faintly.
Behind me I heard the others approaching by now.
"What's going on Duke?" Mallory asked me as I turned to them still holding the quivering sword firmly.
"I don't know, it jus' started shakin'," I said bewildered by this.
"Do you think Borg's in trouble?" Nosedive asked worriedly.
"It wouldn't hurt to send a group to check things out," Wildwing said with concern in his own voice.
"I'll go," I offered quickly.
"I don't think I could stop you," Wildwing shook his head.
"It's my kind of town," I shrugged with a reviving smile.
"Some of us need to stay here to make sure things are safe in our Anaheim," Mallory pointed out.
"Well I'll go with Duke," Nosedive suggested before turning to Grin, "Wanna come Grinster? You've never been there before!"
Grin nodded his head with a smile, "I would be happy to journey through this other world to see what I can learn from it."
"The rest of us will stay here to monitor things. Duke, if it looks to be too much for the three of you to handle then report back and we'll join you," Wildwing ordered.
"Got it; but we should be fine Wing," I assured him.
"I hope so," Tanya said nervously.
I turned to Nosedive and Grin eagerly, "Ready ta have an adventure again guys?"
Nosedive pumped a fist into the air excitedly and Grin nodded assuringly.
With that I gripped the star sword in my hand and focused it's power on the air in front of me. In a second I sliced a doorway open between the two dimensions. I had Nosedive and Grin step through first. Then with a wave to the others I followed them.
As I took in a deep breath of the air around me I then gave a cough as though it had tried to choke me instead. Looking ahead in the distance we could see the city limits of the other Anaheim.
"Why did it bring us so far away?" Nosedive asked.
"I'm not sure, " I pondered as I watched the doorway behind us seal up.
"It seems our journey is meant to begin here?" Grin offered.
Nosedive shrugged and I stepped forward to look out from the hillside we were standing on. From where we stood I could see the palace at the center of the kingdom.
"It's so weird that these buildings are the same as at home, but so very different once you go in," Nosedive commented.
However as we drew a little closer it soon became quite apparent that things were not as familiar as we remembered them to be. For starters we were greeted with a dense fog as we set foot past the city gates. From then on heavy shadows loomed over the streets and people moving about. The air around us made us cough as it had earlier. Taking it in I felt myself growing quite fatigued and rather quickly.
Nosedive yawned, "What's going on here?"
"I'm getting strange, dark vibes coming from the palace," Grin told us.
"Could it be Asteroth?" Nosedive asked.
I shook my head, "Nah, he escaped ta the dark zone remember? He had no way of gettin' out."
"It appears like how we have villains other than Dragonus at home, this dimension has it's own variety of villains," Grin explained.
"I hope Borg's okay," Nosedive yawned again as the fog wrapped around us.
I struggled to fight my own fatigue as we continued towards the center of the city. Yet as we neared the front gates of the palace the fog grew denser in an attempt to suffocate us it seemed. I coughed as my eyelid grew heavy. Even Grin began to slump over on his knee as he breathed in the toxins surrounding us. Before I could tell them to turn back I noticed Nosedive collapsing to the ground. Soon after Grin finally followed him. Both of them in a deep sleep now couldn't hear someone stepping forward through the fog before us. I looked up as I began to kneel down myself as a figure much shorter than us came into view. With a mask over his mouth he held out his hand to help, "My friend, stay with me!"
"Borg?" I asked as I fought my fatigue now.
"Aye, we must get away before this shadow takes us!" He informed me as he hurried over to Nosedive now.
I got to my feet, though my steps were quite shaky by this point. Borg quickly waved a hand over Grin and Nosedive and their eyes began to open.
"Come my friends! We must escape for now!" Borg insisted as they slowly got to their feet.
As I watched them stand up I thought I heard a soft giggling behind me. I turned to see if I could find where it was coming from. Yet it seemed to come from all around me.
"Duke look out!" Nosedive said suddenly as I turned to see a clawed hand reaching for my shoulder through the fog.
I quickly slipped from under it's grasp, turned, and hopped back a bit. The laughter only grew louder in response.
"What's going on Borg?" Nosedive questioned.
"I'll explain later, right now we need to escape!" Borg insisted as he began leading the others away.
However I remained still for a moment as I listened carefully.
"Aren't you going with your friends?" The voice taunted from all around me.
I stepped back now while watching my surroundings more carefully. This voice was that of a woman's at first I thought. Yet then it grew distorted and faded into a laughing whisp or air. At times it carried a growl in the words it formed, "Run along hero. Unless you want to offer your shadow as a tribute instead?"
A clawed left hand wrapped in darkened mist reached out towards me once more. I then noticed its shadow sprawling it's fingers out and lengthening in an attempt to grab my own shadow. I leapt back this time with a flip.
"Impressive," the voice mocked.
"Duke let's go!" Nosedive called out to me.
I decided to follow my comrades now as I carefully turned and ran after them. At first the laughter erupted in a playful tone before growing into a growl, "That's right hero...run...or should I say...thief?"
We kept going. The four of us didn't stop until we had escaped the city and the fog wrapped around it. Taking cover in the nearby hiking trail heading up towards the mountains, we now caught our breath.
"Wh-What was that?!" Nosedive exclaimed with a gasp for air.
"I am sorry my friends, but I am afraid I don't know what has taken my kingdom this time," Borg told us regrefully, "And I wish I did not have to rely on your assistance as much as I have."
"What happened here Borg?" I asked looking back out over the city from our viewpoint.
Borg looked over his kingdom with troubled blue eyes, "It was so sudden. Just this morning we were preparing for a festival when it happened. This fog rolled in threatening us with a deep slumber. Then in the fog as I struggled to stay awake I heard someone laughing. All they said was that it was time for them to have some fun."
"Was it the voice we jus' heard back there?" I asked.
"Aye."
"My magic prevented me from falling under the spell my subjects went under. Those still walking are merely sleep walking. From what I can tell of my guards they are fighting monsters in their dreams. My people are running from invisible creatures and other nightmares," Borg explained.
"That would explain the weird vibes I felt when we approached. All that negative karma put out from their nightmares and whatever that voice was," Grin mentioned thoughtfully.
"Should we call for backup Dukester?" Nosedive asked me.
"Not yet, I still want a better look at what we're dealin' with," I said.
"So what's the plan then?" My much younger teammate questioned.
"We'll wait a while ta make sure it's guard is lowered. Then I'll sneak in ta gather information," I explained.
"By yourself?" Borg asked worriedly, "My friend that may not be wise."
I gave a confident laugh, "This is the stuff I'm made for your highness!"
Then I felt as my brow furrowed as I pondered aloud, "Besides, whatever it was saw what I used ta be somehow. I want ta know how."
Turning to Nosedive and Grin I then added, "However, if I don't come back in two hours ya call the others for back up an' form a plan with Wing."
"Got it!" Nosedive gave a salute.
After an hour or so I began my decent back towards the city. Grin, Nosedive, and Borg had decided to build a small camp at the peak of the mountains where a cavern could be seen. They gave a signal to inform me they had reached the inside and were watching from the natural window it made. Before I left the prince approached me with a cloak pin that he offered to me, "This will protect you from the sleep spell of that fog. I am afraid I can not prepare you for much more than that."
"This is more than enough your highness," I assured him as I tucked it into my suit front pocket before handing him the star sword, "This is in case somethin' happens."
Soon after I was back in the city. Sure enough as I breathed in the dense fog it's spell had no effect on me. Though this time I decided to stick to the shadows given off and planned my steps much more carefully. As Borg had warned me there were people of his kingdom wandering aimlessly in an endless sleep. Many of them ran and screamed from horrifying phantoms of their own minds. Others simply appeared to be lost. However I then noticed as children simply laughed at what seemed to be rather pleasant dreams.
Before much longer I was standing near the palace again as I pondered how to get in unnoticed. For a moment I wondered if it were even wise to attempt alone. Nosedive and Grin had shown a bit of concern that I was trying to solo this. Then I shrugged with a smirk, "May as well use the skills I've got right?"
"Right," a voice echoed around me with a laugh.
"Darn!" I muttered under my breath as I looked around me cautiously.
"Couldn't stay away? That's a first," the voice mocked me.
"It's easy ta laugh when ya won't face your opponents," I commented while drawing my saber.
"Were you not going to enter my home without revealing yourself?" The voice questioned in the same distorted manner.
"I suppose that's fair," I admitted as a clawed hand slashed out from the left side.
I hopped back and held my saber out in warning. Suddenly a hand reached from behind me, under my arm, and grasped my chest over my heart. Before I could move I felt a set of razor claws dig into my suit front as the voice giggled playfully, "Tell me is this where your heart is?"
"It is," I answered as I tried to keep my composure in check.
"Interesting," the voice mused as it tapped it's claws over it, tearing my suit as it did.
Without waring I gripped the hand and tore it from my shirt front it was gripping. Then I twisted my wrist a little as I pulled away, still gripping the hand in mine, as I spun and pulled whatever it was into the center with me.
My remaining brown eye widened in surprise when through the fog a young human woman emerged. Looking to be about Nosedive's age, she stood just at five feet tall before me. Her burgundy hair was recently slashed in the back to create a shorter style. Her attired consisted of an ebony corset top with her back left mostly bare and a pair of tight slacks. Over her legs was also a tattered sheer skirt of blue. On her feet were a pair of knee hight black boots. What I could see of her skin was quite pale. Yet with her light shaded flesh I noticed something spread over her left arm, along her neck, down her mostly uncovered back, and both of her shoulders. Midnight blue scales shimmered in the low light given off from my saber. I also took note that these scales also crept up the left side of her face until it reached just below her eye. There instead were the remains of fresh claw marks left behind that started over the eye and ran down. Beneath her right eye was a single scar below her eye. Her eyes...As they glared at me I found a different one on each side. The left eye marked by her deeper scars was golden and serpent like in nature. While the right eye, though still as fierce in expression, retained a sapphire like appearance in shade and from how the light shimmered in it.
"You're lucky I didn't catch your heart just now!" She laughed in an attempt to keep her composure.
I couldn't help but give a smirk, "I'm not so sure ya missed sweetheart."
The look she gave me seemed torn between anger and confusion when I said that to her. It was just what I needed to catch her off guard as I pulled her into the center of the fog with me.
"Let's get better aquainted,"I suggested as she tried to pull away.
Keeping my guard up I gave a polite bow to my adversary, "Name's Duke L'Orange. Are ya ready ta dance sweetheart?"
I then lifted the scaled hand of hers that I still held in my own feathered hand and kissed it. For a second I glanced up as her cheeks turned a soft pink briefly before her expression twisted into a glare.
"Was that your first kiss?" I teased her, "I know I was a thief, but I didn't mean ta steal that from ya if so?"
Then my own expression shifted with a raised brow as I then asked, "But how did ya know what I was?"
The young lady gave a smirk of her own as her golden eye flashed with energy, "Your shadow showed me. It was quite interesting to see a glimpse into that life you had, if only for a moment."
"Careful, I was told I was quite the heartbreaker back then," I warned playfully, "I'd hate ta break yours as well darlin'."
"It's hard to break what isn't there anymore," she laughed coldly.
"Is that so? Then why are ya blushin'?" I taunted with a charming smile.
Before I could say another word she whipped her hand away from mine and we began our dance. Though rather than hand in hand it was blade against blade as she drew a staff from her back and summoned the blade of a twisted glaive. From that point we moved around one another, she slashed at me while I stepped back and blocked. Then I pushed back with a side step as she lunged at me. My blade now tangled with her glaive I looked into her eyes as she glared at me.
"It's a shame you're my enemy, you're actually quite pretty," I told her with a smile while leaning forward.
She laughed, "A thief and a liar huh?"
"Not a liar sweetheart," I assured her causing her to push back a bit more now.
She swung her blade and I ducked down to avoid getting hit. Then I lunged forward and twisted the glaive out of her grip.
"Now," I said confidentally as I held my saber out towards her, "Shall we take our bow sweetheart?"
She then gave a distorted laugh as she asked me, "You think it's finished do you?"
"Ya wanna dance with me some more? I'd be happy ta oblige, but how will ya dance now?"
Without a word she lunged her hand out towards me. I then found myself dodging blasts of electricity that ignited from her fingertips.
"I thought ya had a certain spark in ya," I said while stepping to the side to avoid being hit.
"Let me share it with you!" She offered as she reached out to catch my free hand.
I managed to avoid being grabbed with a slide to the right. Then I turned and swung my blade until it nearly met with her throat. My movements came to a pause at this point as I held back from ending the dance permanently.
"Why did you stop?" She asked me with her eyes darkening and a smirk over her lips, "You could have been the hero to save the kingdom with that move?"
"Spillin' blood like that isn't my style sweetheart," I answered before stepping closer to her and keeping my blade steady near her neck.
"Now then," I started while I slipped behind her and gripped her arm with my free hand, "Mind tellin' me who ya are an' why you're here?"
"This place used to be my home," she told me with her voice coming in and out of reality.
"So you know the prince then?" I enquired.
"I did," she replied.
"If this was your home then why do all of this?"
"I thought I'd have some fun after all this time," she teased as I felt her shift in my grip.
"I wouldn't try anythin' sweetheart, ya still have my saber ta worry about," I warned her.
"Is that so?" She asked with a giggle that unnerved me a bit.
"What are ya-?"
Before I could finish my sentence I felt my arm being pulled away from her. Yet when I looked there was nothing there grabbing it. Then I remembered as I glanced down. On the ground I could see a shadowed tendril emerging from her shadow and wrapping around my shadow's arm to pull it back.
"It would be fun to have a new shadow to play with!" She taunted me as I was then pulled to my hands and knees by this same force.
I looked up at her with my expression hardening into a glare now. She knelt down on one knee before me as her lips curved into a twisted smile. Her eyes still quite dark she looked into my one.
"What could I do with you?" She teased leaning in close, "I could make you fight your friends. I could make you into my guard, not that I need one really."
She then looked me over as though trying to figure out what she had in mind for me. I felt my blood beginning to heat up as I looked into her eyes again. Noticing my glare she laughed still as she caressed my right cheek, "You are rather handsome this way though."
Then she stood up and looked down at me still smiling as though simply enjoying that she had me locked in place.
For a moment I then felt my bones beginning to ache as they threatened to twist and shift within me. I gritted my teeth as I groaned in pain. My body trembled as I tried to resist whatever was happening. Unable to hold back any longer I cried out. Then it stopped suddenly.
"No...no it's too soon for something like that," she said as my muscles eased up a bit.
I looked up a bit surprised to see a hint of pain in her sapphire eye. Her clawed hand covered the dragonlike half of her face. My heart raced as I gasped for breath. I tried to regain my composure as I shakily tried to get to my feet. She noticed as her shadow's grip tightened on my own again. She then loomed over me with a twisted delight in her darkening eyes.
"Has the thief been caught?" She taunted, "I really do need to decide what should be done with you though."
I tried to pull free from her grip. Then I felt claws digging into me before she knelt down in front of me again. Once more she knelt down in front of me grinning ear to ear with dragons teeth showing as she did.
"Why have you come here anyway?" She then asked me, "This isn't your home. Through your shadow I see where you dwell now. Why fight someone else's battle?"
"That's who we are. If there's a cause ta fight for we'll stand for it," I told her.
"You and your comrades from before?" She questioned as though remembering something.
"Yes," I answered firmly, "An' we'll stop you just like we stopped Asteroth twice."
For a moment I noticed a flash of anger in her eyes at his name. I looked at her a bit bewildered before watching as she smiled as though greatful about something.
"What's your name?" I then asked her curiously.
She raised a brow a bit surprised, "Of all the things to ask me?"
"I jus' feel that I deserve ta know your name at least," I retorted.
She watched me curiously for a moment before laughing softly, "I do not currently have a name I prefer. Though before I was known as Heart."
"Such a lovely name for such a strikin' maiden," I told her.
Again I watched as she faultered for a moment. Yet she then shook her head, "You really are a terrible liar for a thief."
"Not really," I chuckled, "But I'm not lyin' right now."
Her hand brushed over the left side of her face, over her scars, and she scoffed at my words.
"Why are ya doin' all of this?" I then asked her.
"Like I said to the prince, I may as well have some fun now," she said half heartedly before I felt the grip on me loosen.
Before she could try to hold me down I leapt backwards. She jumped to her feet as well to chase after me as I ran. While I ran I made sure my shadow stayed in front of me. Behind me I could hear her distorted laugh in the fog around me. Suddenly I felt a force lunge at me from the side as she knocked herself into me and tackled me. Together we rolled on the ground trying to grapple the other until she finally pinned me down. Her eyes flashed with an intense energy as she smirked.
"Ya know you're tryin' really hard ta keep a hold of me," I laughed as I tried to get her off of me, "Was one kiss all I needed ta win such a fair heart?"
"Charm won't save you thief!" She assured me as she gripped my shoulders with her hands, the left digging claws into me.
"So I am charmin'?" I teased her with a smile before finally kicking her off of me.
Despite her coming up to my chest, I hadn't realized how small her frame was before until I kicked her. Striking her stomach with my knee I was able to knock her off of me fairly easily. She gasped for breath as it was knocked out of her lungs suddenly. Then I shoved her off of me before scrambling to my feet. Seeing her wince in pain I nearly paused to check over her. Regaining my wits I sprinted away leaving her there on the ground as she gripped her torso where I had struck her.
I didn't stop until I was well away from the city and her. Once I knew I was safe I stopped to catch my own breath. Then I felt the pain left from her claws stinging my shoulders. Looking up at the trail ahead of me I took a breath and began my ascent to the others.
"Wing was right," I laughed when I found the others waiting, "I should have been careful for what I wished for."