Chapter 65: The Hunt and the Hounds
A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company. I do not own The Dresden Files, which is the property of Jim Butcher. I do not own any of the legends and folklore that inspired the Wild Hunt.
Hello my dearest readers, hello! I hope you are all doing well and that you've enjoyed the last chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it.
We haven't given much attention to Maleficent in the last few chapters, sans that one glimpse from Seifer in Chapter 62. I intend to rectify that in the immediate future.
Read on, my dearest readers, read on!
oooo
Notfar from the castles where King Stefan and King Hubert ruled, there were forests. These forests had stood for millennia, since time immemorial. The very foundation of this world was tied into these forests. In the darkest corner of the darkest forest, in a grove few had ever seen and fewer still had ever spoken of, there was a tower. A tower where lived the oldest and the most sinister of all the fae—the Erlking. Leader of the Wild Hunt.
The fae were an ancient race, as old as the forest itself. As old as the Age of Fairy Tales. And Maleficent needed them. At her side was the Big Bad Wolf—while he was an oaf and a brute, he was also a predator. The Erlking would respect a fellow predator. They ascended the tower in silence. Maleficent pursed her lips. She would have to be careful with dealing with this. The Erlking was as skilled as she when it came to manipulate words.
The tower grew more and more wild, the further higher they climbed. Stone carvings grew increasingly chipped and there were wild tangles of roots and scars of scorched wood. Battles had been fought here, some more recently than others.
Maleficent nodded at the Erlking. He was enormously tall, budging nine feet without his horned armor. His face was scarred from centuries of battle, of duels and hunts and attempted assassinations, to the point where it could never be mistaken for human. A twisted snout for a nose and razor sharp teeth—the Erlking had taken traits from many of his trophies through the ages.
The Erlking stood at the head of a long wooden table. The table was laden with various meats: slabs of ribs from oxen, forelimbs of stags, a roasted boar nearly twelve feet long. Beside her, Maleficent could hear the Big Bad Wolf lick his lips. All around the table were the Erlking's followers: stout, pig-faced goblins and toadish trolls tore into their haunches of meat without silverware; wolves and dogs and hellhounds linked around the table, picking up scraps as they fell;
One goblin raised a tankard of ale at the Wolf. The Wolf took it with a nod and drank it down in a single gulp. Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the Erlking.
"You've come back to this realm?" The Erlking asked. His voice was softer than one might have expected. But it didn't make him any less dangerous. A wolf that came close to the fire and did not bare its teeth was all the more dangerous than one who snarled at the approach of any unwary traveler.
"I seek to call on the Hunt," Maleficent said. "There are great purposes that I seek for them."
"My mounts and hounds pursue the unwary and unwise. I offer them a choice. They may flee or join or die. As I understand it, you seek immortality," The Erlking shook his massive head. "We are not of the same nature. Death is an inevitability, to be sought after or sent."
"Oh, but we are," Maleficent said. "We are both part of the Darkness are we not? We both seek combat, regardless of motivation. And I have something you desire. Through all the ages, have you not fought many warriors who sought to destroy you?"
"There has never been any who has bested me," The Erlking said. "Even after you and your Heartless destroyed this world, I survived. The Realm of Darkness only strengthened me. You, Maleficent, fell at Hollow Bastion. At the hands of a boy."
"My body was not destroyed," Maleficent shook her head. "It was dispersed and my heart sent into the past so far distant, you had not yet picked up so much as a knife. But that is of no matter. What matters is what I can offer you. The Hunt's quarry will be like none other if you serve me—Keybearers."
"A Keybearer?" The Erlking spoke even more softly. He reached for his sword, a long, curved cavalry saber thoughtfully. "In all the ages, I have only crossed blades with one thrice. Each duel was nearly the last I fought. But I was victorious in the end…you say there are Keybearers?"
"I say that there are four Keybearers in these woods," Maleficent said.
"A most promising conquest…" The Erlking smirked. "The Hunt hasn't had worthy quarries in months. Nor have any joined us. But even then, it's not as easy to gain control as a mere offer."
"I know the law," Maleficent said. "I was there when it was written, as you would well remember. In order to seize control of the Hunt, I must best you in combat."
The Erlking smiled at her, every one of his razor sharp teeth showing. With one fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword and raised it at Maleficent.
"But of course….Sister."
oooo
"Roxas…"
Roxas paused and glanced at Xion. She and the others had been back for almost an hour and everyone was waiting for the cake that Fauna and Axel had baked to be ready to eat. It would probably be a while longer, but Roxas didn't mind waiting. He got to be with Xion. They were sitting on the steps outside the Good Fairies' cottage, watching the birds fly around.
"Is everything alright, Xion?"
Xion gave him a weak smile but then it faltered. She drew her arms around herself and her bare toes curled into fists. Roxas felt his stomach tighten into a knot.
"What am I going to do?"
"About what?" Roxas asked. He reached out to take Xion's hand. It was soft and warm and her fingertips were stained with berry juice. "Xion?"
"About my Keyblade…" Xion whispered. "Kairi almost got hurt when we were picking berries. A tree branch fell and I only just got her out of the way in time."
"I don't think that would have hurt me that badly," Kairi piped up, sitting down on Xion's other side. She gave an encouraging smile. "It was just a tree branch, Xion. But you did save me from it, so that makes you a hero."
"But what if something else happens?" Xion bit her lip. "Kairi, I don't have my Keyblade…I had to knock you down to help. What if there something that tries to hurt you and I can't help?"
"I'm not made of glass, Xion," Kairi said. She held out her hand and in a flash, she summoned her Keyblade, Destiny's Embrace. "I can take care of myself…I can take care of you. You don't have to always be the hero."
"Yes, I do," Xion argued. She squeezed her eyes shut. "It's only right that I…after everything…but without a Keyblade…I'm useless if the Heartless attack. Or ghosts. Or Nobodies."
"You're not useless," Roxas said sharply. "You're not useless, Xion. You're smart and brave and strong. You're my best friend, through all worlds and all time. That hasn't changed. It's never going to change."
"That doesn't mean anything if I can't help you," Xion groaned. "Roxas, I'm not sure…Kairi, please try to understand…I want to help you, but I want the help to be real…"
She lowered her head, staring at her knees. Kairi patted her gently on the back, between her shoulders.
"Xion, I have an idea," Roxas said. In a flash, he summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Gently, he handed one of his Keyblades to Xion. "Yen Sid said you weren't allowed to summon your own Keyblade. He didn't say you couldn't use one of mine."
"Roxas, I don't think that's going to work," Kairi said as Xion took Oathkeeper slowly, as if it would break into a million pieces if she made the tiniest mistake with it.
"Why not?"
"Because your Keyblade will—oh," Kairi said, just as Oathkeeper vanished from Xion's hand and ended up back in Roxas's hand. "Do that. Same thing happened to me and Axel when he suggested we trade Keyblades for a sparring session."
"Oh…right," Roxas said. "I can't believe I forgot about that."
Roxas felt his ears begin to burn. It'd seemed so obvious, but how stupid could he be to forget that his Keyblades would almost certainly be called back to him? When he confronted Sora, so long ago, in Sora's own heart, Sora had called his Keyblade back to him. Roxas grimaced and then felt Xion place a small, warm hand on his shoulder.
"I do appreciate it," Xion whispered. "Roxas, thank you…"
"You're welcome," Roxas answered as he dismissed his Keyblades. He didn't feel any better though. Xion still looked miserable and even Kairi's smile was faltering.
"It's not forever," Kairi said quietly. "Before you know it, Xion, that spell will wear off and you'll have your Keyblade back. You'll have everything back."
Kairi stood up, brushed imaginary dirt off her skirt and walked down to where she and Xion had set their boots. She picked up both pairs and walked back to the steps, handing Xion a pair.
"Um, Kairi?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you gave me your boots," Xion said, her face reddening. "I know they look more or less the same, but…"
Roxas wasn't sure how Xion would have been able to tell the difference between the two pairs of boots, given that they looked identical to him,
"So we share!" Kairi grinned, and this time, the smile looked a lot more genuine. She pulled the boots that may have been Xion's over her bare feet. "Come on, Xion. Sisters are supposed to share!"
Sister…Kairi thought of Xion as her sister? It was a touching sentiment, given everything that them. But Roxas wasn't sure how much Kairi knew about their pasts. Naminé had been adopted by Kairi's father. Naminé was now legally Kairi's sister, at least as far as the people on the Destiny Islands were concerned. But Naminé was his twin…did that make Kairi his sister too?
"Yes, Kairi," Xion said, fastening the boots Kairi had handed her and raised herself up slowly. She looked a bit unsteady on her feet. "Whatever you say."
"It's going to be alright," Kairi smiled, patting Xion on the arm. "I promise."
Xion smiled at Kairi and it was an uneasy smile, but also a hopeful one. Roxas stood up too and took Xion's other hand.
"Do you think we're going to have to fight something here, Roxas?" Xion asked. "Princess Aurora told us a bit about something called the Wild Hunt. It didn't sound like anything we've fought before, and I'm not sure how it could be tied into all this life-and-death stuff. It doesn't sound like it's a regular afterlife."
"From what Prince Phillip was saying," Roxas said. "I think it's something like the Headless Horseman. A threat that doesn't have anything to do with what happened at the Keyblade Graveyard."
"I guess the only thing to do is face it when it comes," Kairi said. "Maybe the Good Fairies know a little bit more about this sort of thing."
"FIRE!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"I didn't do it!"
xxxx
Axel could extinguish any fire—he'd bragged about it often enough. Roxas was glad to see him make good on it, as he vanished the fire in the wood stove with a flick of his fingers. It was almost like they were still at home. Roxas and Xion took seats at the table. Kairi offered Xion her chair so Roxas could sit next to her, while Kairi took another chair next to Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip.
"Okay, I think I got it," Axel said. He gave a small yelp as a bit of fire sprouted up in the stove and he snapped his fingers to get it back down. "There we go, that's better…meant to do that…ah, here we go!"
"Oh, thank you, Lea," Fauna said as Axel pulled the cake off the stove and carried it back to the table. It was a triple-layer cake, with blue frosting. It reminded Roxas of the sky and of the sea and it looked wonderful.
"Oh no, blue? That will never do," Flora said, pulling out her wand. "Make it pink!"
The frosting on the cake turned from blue to pink and Flora gave a firm nod. Merryweather gave a huff and pulled out her own wand.
"That isn't fair!" Merryweather said. "Make it blue!"
There was a flash of sparkles and the cake's frosting turned blue and when Roxas looked closely, the cake itself had turned blue too. It was the same shade of blue as a bar of sea salt ice cream.
"Merryweather! Make it pink!"
"Blue!"
"Make it pink!"
"Make it blue!"
"Make it—oh, Briar Rose!"
"That's enough now, dears," Princess Aurora said. "It looks absolutely wonderful. Let's eat."
Prince Phillip produced a large knife and began to slice the cake into exact even pieces. It smelled wonderful but before Roxas could even try a bite, he faltered. A chill went down his spine. Across from him, Kairi's face became pensive. He turned his head. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary outside, but then again, he wasn't really sure what qualified as ordinary in this world.
"Something's happening…" Roxas said. "I can feel it."
"So can I," Princess Aurora said, putting a hand to her head. "I can sense a great darkness…I'm not one of the Seven any longer…but I can still feel it."
Roxas still didn't understand why that would be the case since Princess Aurora didn't seem to have any sort of darkness in her heart, but if three of them could feel something—make that four of them with the way Xion had started to tremble—then that meant trouble.
"Oh dears," Flora said in a whisper. "I think we need to get you home. Rose, Phillip, I think we need to get you to a stronger threshold than this little cottage can offer."
"I lived here for sixteen years," Princess Aurora argued. "This is far more my home than either of the castles would be."
"For you dear, but not for us or for Phillip," Fauna said, taking a cloak off a coatrack. "Your father's castle—or Phillip's father's castle for that matter—are home to dozens upon dozens. It'd be much safer for all of us there."
"I think they're right," Prince Phillip said, taking Princess Aurora's hand. "We need to leave, as quickly as possible."
They filed out of the cottage and Prince Phillip ran towards his horse to unhitch it. He gave it a gentle pet on its nose and led it away from the post. He helped Princess Aurora onto the saddle and then climbed on himself.
"Alright, Samson," Prince Phillip said, patting his horse on the neck. "We need to get home now. There's going to be carrots waiting for you."
The horse gave a whiney and broke into a trot. Roxas and Axel followed after it, with Xion and Kairi a few steps behind them. Kairi reached out and took Xion's hand. The three Good Fairies…shrank down to the size of the songbirds and began to glow and they follow along down the path.
It was afternoon now, though the sun still shined high in the sky. The air was still…almost too still. Roxas couldn't put his finger about what was wrong.
"It's not far from my father's castle," Princess Aurora said gently. "We should get there before dark."
Roxas nodded and they continued walking. It felt even more like Sleepy Hollow walking through these woods. Come to think of it, they did an awful lot of walking. The forest was too thick to really use the flowing techniques like they did in the Land of Dragons. They walked on and Roxas saw two rabbits dart across the path and dive into a burrow. A moment later, they were followed by several birds and an owl.
They walked on and Roxas felt the chill down his spine again. But nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary…but he heard Xion give a tiny cry. But the sun was still shining…
"Do you…do you guys hear thunder?"
oooo
The Big Bad Wolf licked his lips. They were finally gonna get to start eating. Pork and beef and chicken were fine eating but in this world, there weren't any of those. Oh sure, the farmers had pigs and cows and goats, but it weren't the same as back home. Those three little pigs that always out-smarted him could talk and build houses, even if two of 'em were lousy at it. And they could scream and cry when he ate 'em. He liked it when the stuff he ate cried. It made it taste better.
He was the Big Bad Wolf after all and he wasn't called Big and Bad for nothing! He liked the darkness, even if the wimpy wimp he had for a king didn't like it. The king was just a coward. A big chicken—but not the yummy kind. Curses! He thought he was so special with that Keyblade of his—pah! If he was really so special, then why did the darkness keep coming back?
The Big Bad Wolf liked the Erl-kingy. He was a giant of a man…or elf…actually, the Big Bad Wolf wasn't quite sure what the Erl-kingy was. He was bigger than most of the folk around most of the places the Big Bad Wolf had visited. Even bigger than him or Pete. And he was a hunter to be sure! There were pelts and mounted heads all over the tower. There was a nice one of a big bear and another of a huge deer with giant horns.
It was still day-time which confused the Big Bad Wolf. He'd done his fair share of hunting and chasing pigs during the day, but after being beaten up more than a few times that way, the Big Bad Wolf preferred to hunt at night. It was easier then—people were already a'scared of stuff at night.
"You are a hunter," The Erl-kingy said, as he lifted up his sword—a long and jagged and sharp blade that looked almost like a jaw full of sharp teeth. "You would do well to serve me."
"We'll see about that," The Big Bad Wolf said. "You never leave these woods. There's a whole lot of worlds out there where I can hunt as much as I like."
"These woods are my source of strength," The Erl-kingy said, like he was explaining something. "If our prey runs or fights or dies, it matters little."
"The best part is when they cry, isn't it?" The Big Bad Wolf said. "They run and cry and then they taste that much sweeter."
"It makes little difference for me," The Erl-kingy said. "The thrill of the chase…the Hunt…that is what matters. Defiance or despair, as long as blood is spilled and the ground cleansed, then I am sustained."
"How many are we going to go after? There's more than just one Keybearer to fight this time, ya know."
The Big Bad Wolf looked at one of the goblins. It was small and kind of runty. Too little to fight a Keybearer, though it could probably help take down a regular person. Even if the littlest Keyblade user didn't have hers no more, there was still the others to worry about. There was the tall one who'd been part of the Organization way back when and the boy with two Keyblades when everyone else only had one. They liked the runty crybaby Keybearer.
"I seek the strongest among them," The Erl-kingy said. "I need to fight…to spill blood…to win."
The Erl-kingy held up his sword, high above his head and gave a great cry. It was a mixture of a howl and a bellow and a roar and a war cry and It made the Big Bad Wolf's tail go all poofy. It wasn't often that his tail went poofy, so it must be something real bad. The Erl-kingy was stronger than the Big Bad Wolf had ever even realized.
"To arms, my friends!" The Erl-kingy shouted. "To arms! It's time to hunt!"
All over the tower, the Big Bad Wolf saw goblins and trolls and gremlins and other monsters rise up to their feet. They picked up swords and axes and spears and some picked up bows and arrows. Their dogs—and some of them were actually wolves—began to howl. They weren't wolves like the Big Bad Wolf. They were just animals who couldn't talk. But they could hunt. And they could track.
The Big Bad Wolf took a deep breath. He hadn't had a chance to huff and puff and blow anything down in a long time. But he was ready to blow down a castle if he got the chance to do so.
The Erl-kingy charged down the steps, followed by his hounds and his wolves. Then came the goblins and trolls. The Big Bad Wolf bared his teeth.
"Let's go get 'em!"
"Not just yet."
The Big Bad Wolf turned around. Maleficent was standing there, smiling a very sneaky sort of smile. On her shoulder was her raven Diablo. Diabo cawed in the Big Bad Wolf's face.
"What are you talking about?" The Big Bad Wolf asked. "The Key-brats are waiting for us!"
"Good things come to those who wait," Maleficent said. "We each have our own prey…"
"The Hunt rides!" The Erl-kingy shouted. "At last, we run! We ride! We hunt!"
It was sunny outside the tower but then thunder began to clap.
xxxx
It took a lot longer than the Big Bad Wolf thought to begin the Hunt. But they ran through the forest, Heartless began to sprout up from the shadows. They hadn't met anyone on the path. Not yet, anyway. The Big Bad Wolf grumbled to himself. This wasn't much of a hunt.
Oh! That wasn't the case after all! There was a small man with stringy arms and a bundle of hay walking right in front of them. His eyes went huge when he saw the Erl-kingy and his hounds.
"Human! You face the Wild Hunt!" The Erl-kingy said. He held his sword up high. "I give you a choice. You may run, you may join or you may die."
The man threw down his bundle of hay and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't get very far. The Erl-kingy drew his bow and pulled by an arrow. He got the man right between the shoulders and then his hounds and the Heartless were upon him. And then there weren't nothing left. Not even bones.
"That's pretty grim…" The Big Bad Wolf said. "You barely gave him a chance to run."
"He was weak," The Erl-kingy said. "But it wouldn't do to start out against the Keybearers just yet."
"I didn't say, I didn't like it," The Big Bad Wolf cackled. "Did you see the look on his face?"
"His life will serve us better than it ever served him," The Erl-kingy continued. He held up his sword again. "We ride!"
They went off again. The Erl-kingy and his men—goblins—whatever, began riding. It sounded like thunder. It was music to the Big Bad Wolf's ears.
A few minutes later, the Big Bad Wolf and Erl-kingy came across another man, with a bundle of sticks. He looked like he was gathering firewood. Mmm…maybe they'd roast him up. He dropped his bundle of sticks when he saw the Erl-kingy and he didn't even start to give his little speech before the man began to run as fast as he could. He was faster than the man who'd had a bunch of hay, but not much. The Erl-kingy let his hounds chase the man down. He screamed and screamed and he was still alive when they began biting him. After a few minutes, the Erl-kingy got tired of hearing the man scream and drew his sword to finish him off.
Then they saw a man who was carrying a load of bricks. He was standing right in the middle of the road. He did not move an inch when he saw the Erl-kingy. He stood straight up. He didn't even blink.
"Human, you have a choice!" The Erl-kingy shouted. "You face the Wild Hunt! You may run! You may join us! Or you may die!"
The man with the load of bricks didn't run away. He didn't yell. He didn't do anything. He just stood there and stared out straight ahead. The Big Bad Wolf licked his lips. He was making this awful easy for them. But when the Big Bad Wolf tried to take a step forward, he couldn't move. What the…what was going on? The meat was right there! The Big Bad Wolf could smell him! Curses! Why wasn't this working?!
"He has not made his choice," The Erl-kingy said. "We cannot engage him if he does not make a choice. We must move on then."
The Erl-kingy set off again, his hounds following at his heels. More goblins and trolls joined up alongside him. The Big Bad Wolf scowled and followed along. He could smell the Keybearers. They were close.
oooo
It had only been the early afternoon when they started, but it seemed to have gotten very dark, very quickly. And then the thunder had gotten worse and worse and worse, so loud that Xion could barely hear herself think. But it hadn't started to rain yet. Was that part of the legend? Xion couldn't remember everything that Princess Aurora had told them. Kairi was still holding her hand though—it felt nice to hold Kairi's hand, but not quite like holding Roxas's. Roxas's
"We never should have left the cottage," Faunaa whispered. "The Hunt is surely upon us."
"Oh, we're just as strong as the Erlking and his hunters," Merryweather scoffed. "We just need to be brave enough to use our magic!"
"Merryweather!" Flora snapped. "You know our magic is only to be used for good! To make others happy!"
"And being able to use it for once would make me very happy!" Merryweather snapped. "We need to start being proactive! Fighting the bad guys first!"
Make others happy. Make others happy. This is the Key to light the darkness and make everyone happy…that was what Sora always said. Xion almost thought she could hear his voice, if it weren't for the thunder pounding in her ears. It hurt. It wasn't often that noise actually hurt her.
Everyone was getting increasingly nervous the farther they walked. Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora were looking this way and that. Roxas was making fists as they walked and Axel hadn't told a single joke in over an hour. Xion felt Kairi's grip on her hand tighten.
"Ah…"
"Sorry," Kairi murmured. "I'm…well…it's like we're being watched. It almost feels like before, in the Keyblade Graveyard. Right before we had to start fighting. When they were waiting for us…"
When I was waiting for you. When Master Xehanort and all the rest of us sent out Heartless by the millions. Where we hurt Sora and Aqua and you and Axel…where I hurt you. Where I helped kill you…
"Xion," Kairi whispered. "I think the thunder's stopped. That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"No," Princess Aurora said, before Xion could answer. "It isn't…don't move an inch, if you can help it."
Xion gripped Kairi's hand as tightly as she could. Roxas turned and looked at Xion. Then, his eyes grew very wide, like he'd seen a ghost. Or worse…
"Keybearers!"
A tall man…too tall to be real…appeared from the trees. He was taller than any human being that Xion had ever seen. He wore a thick cloak of fur and his hood had horns…no wait, they were antlers. And in his hand, he gripped a sword, slick with blood. He was riding a horse…but it looked more like a deer. And he had two huge dogs with him—dogs that were much bigger than Pluto or Butch, but nowhere near the size of Spot. But there didn't seem to be anybody else…wasn't there supposed to be a whole bunch of people in the Wild Hunt.
"I challenge you, here and now! You face the Wild Hunt!" The man shouted. "I am the Erlking, the lord of the wood, the greatest of the fae! I offer you a choice: Run! Join! Or die! Tell me now, who is the strongest among you?"
"The Erlking?" Flora gasped. "Oh my goodness, this is not good. This is not good. This is not good at all."
Xion began to shake and she held out her hand. The threat was here. It was right in front of her. But her Keyblade did not come. It wouldn't come. There was nothing she could do to help her friends. She was still so useless…
"Xion, stop!"
Xion froze. She couldn't move a muscle. Time magic? Roxas was staring at her—Oathkeeper pointed directly at her heart. He walked past her and Kairi and then glowered at the Erlking, like it had drowned his goldfish.
"I choose to destroy you!" Roxas shouted. He summoned Oblivion to his other hand. He grit his teeth.
"You're not going in there alone," Axel growled as he summoned Flame Liberator. "Let's show this poser how it's done."
"No…" Roxas said. "This is my fight!"
"As I wanted," The Erlking said. "You are the strongest of the Keybearers? I hope you fare better than the ones who came before you. Now then, boy, come and meet your death!"
oooo
Roxas was holding Oathkeeper and Oblivion so tightly, he felt that his hands might break. He glowered at the strange man. What was he? Some sort of elf? He was wearing a hood with long antlers. He wasn't sure about what this whole Wild Hunt thing was about, or whether Prince Phillip's explanations were right, but he knew enough to figure that If he struck down the leader, the Wild Hunt would go away.
"Roxas, you can't seriously be thinking of trying to take that thing on yourself," Axel shook his head. "We're stronger, together."
"Look at it this way," Roxas said. "Nobody else has to get hurt."
He didn't exactly like the idea of not fighting with Axel or Xion, but Xion didn't have her Keyblade back yet. She'd never be able to face any of the monsters without it. And if the Erlking—is that what he said his name was—wanted to just fight him, then that was what was going to happen.
"Defend yourself, Keybearer," The Erlking growled and he slammed the ground with his sword. "Let us do battle."
Roxas charged, sending beams of light out of Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The first beam of light struck the Erkling in the chest. The second missed wide and struck a tree. It exploded and sent splinters and shattered bits of wood everywhere. The Erlking began to laugh and then he ran towards Roxas. His feet pounded hard against the ground. Roxas beached himself and crossed his Keyblades together, catching them against the Erlking's first strike.
Roxas was no stranger to fighting opponents who were bigger than him. It was something he shared with Sora, and he was shorter than almost everyone but Kairi. The Erlking was tall—taller than almost everyone Roxas had fought who wasn't a giant Heartless. He struck fast with his sword and Roxas parried with Oathkeeper. The Erlking snarled and swung his fist towards Roxas. Roxas leapt out of the way, but he could feel the air of the passing blow.
"Don't be such a coward!" The Erlking shouted. "You want to fight, Keybearer? Then let us fight!"
"Raaaah!" Roxas shouted. "What is it with you people? Why do you want to hurt others?"
"To fight is to live, boy!" The Erlking bellowed. "Don't try and pretend that we are any different! You fight and you kill, do you not?"
"I fight monsters! Heartless and Nobodies!" Roxas snapped. He tossed Oblivion at the Erlking and raised Oathkeeper high above his head. Light shimmered out of it. Light that was brighter than the sun. As bright as Kingdom Hearts itself.
The forest began to fade and the next thing Roxas knew, he and the Erlking were standing in…a clearing? Or maybe a platform in the sky? Roxas looked down—the platform he was standing on was red…the color of sunsets…the color of fire…the color of blood. There were strangle carvings all along the platform, but Roxas didn't get a close look since the Erlking raised his sword higher than ever. With a blood-curling scream, the Erlking charged at Roxas.
"Reflectra!"
It wasn't often that Roxas used barriers, and the Erlking shattered it as soon as it appeared. Roxas bit back a swear word and leapt to the side. He slashed with Oblivion and it caught the Erlking in the back. The Erlking didn't cry out in pain or grunt…he laughed.
"Ah, a challenge! At last!" The Erlking shouted. "I haven't had a challenge in over two centuries, the last time I struck down a Keybearer!"
Roxas had no idea who had been wielding Keyblades that long ago, but seeing the Erlking scoff like that, at the sacrifice of other Keyblade wielders turned his blood to fire.
"Firaga!" Roxas shouted, aiming both his Keyblades at the Erlking's chest. The fireballs fused together and became a tremendous wave of fire. The Erlking slashed out with his own sword and while Roxas could see some of the flamers flicker away harmlessly, others singed the Erlking's horned hood.
The Erlking charged, swinging his sword. Roxas parried the first blow with Oathkeeper but when he tried to strike back with Oblivion, the Erking punched it away. Roxas startled. He took a step back and blocked a blow that would have taken his head if he'd been a moment too slow. The Erlking slashed out again and Roxas parried the blow again. He dove to the side and sent Oblivion flying. His Keyblade soared through the air and slashed at the Erlking. Traditional magic wasn't working...Roxas grit his teeth. Master Yen Sid wouldn't like what he was about to do, but if Riku could do it, then it had to be okay for him to do it too!
"Dark Firaga!" Roxas snarled, aiming Oblivion directly at the Erlking's chest. At once, a fireball erupted from his Keyblade. It was tremendously large, black and purple, crackling with energy, exploded against the Erlking's heart. The platform beneath their feet began to crack. And then Roxas ran forward, the grinding of the tips of his Keyblade against the glass platform screeching in his ears. Glimpses of the first time he and Sora had ever met each other—or at least the first time Sora had ever met him—rushed back, when he had fought for control of their body…
Just like before…just like you did, brother…we'll fight, we'll win…
Roxas struck with Oathkeeper and then with Oblivion and then with Oathkeeper and then again with Oblivion. He didn't stop to even catch his breath. Again and again and again, he slammed his Keyblades against the sword-guard the Erlking was using. He shot out fire and ice and lightning. He called on light, sending pillars as tall as trees and concentrated beams. He fused light into Oathkeeper's very essence, the way Ven fought with his own Keyblade, and slammed it against the Erlking's head. With each blow, there were more and more cracks forming in the
Finally, the floor beneath them shattered and the forest reformed. The sky was darker than it had been, but there was a greenish hint to the air. Early dawn? How long had they been fighting?
Roxas felt as though he was falling, almost as if he were diving into his heart. Had that been where he and the Erlking had been? The Erlking's heart? The forest had changed…there were a lot more broken trees and overturned boulders. There were stumps that were charred, from flame or from thunderbolts. Branches and roots ripped up from great gusts of wind. Had there been a fight here? Had the effects from his fight with the Erlking carried over? Or had Axel and Xion been put into danger?
"Roxas!"
Roxas turned his head—Kairi was walking towards him. She was favoring her left leg. Behind her, Roxas could see Axel shaking something very dark off one of his chakrams and then flick his wrist to turn it back into Flame Liberator. Xion was clutching a tree branch like a club, standing over Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. Prince Phillip's horse sniffed the back of Xion's head and licked her cheek.
Xion was alright. They were all alright. Roxas turned back to the Erlking and his eyes widened. All around the Erlking were the bodies of smaller creatures—some had faces like pigs and some had faces like bats. Goblins? Trolls? Were they all part of the Wild Hunt too? The Erlking was panting, clutching his chest. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction…he was happy? Roxas suddenly felt very tired and his arms began to burn.
"Heh," The Erkling grunted. He struggled to his feet and then fell back down. He held out a hand and a Corridor of Darkness formed from under him. He lifted his head and looked Roxas straight in the eye. "I've been beaten. The Hunt is no longer mine. You fought well, Keybearer."
"That's Roxas!" Roxas shouted. He wasn't just a Keybearer and he was getting sick of . "Got it memorized?"
The Erlking just smiled, a great wolffish grin and disappeared. Roxas felt his knees begin to buckle but then Kairi and Axel were helping him back to his feet. And then Xion slammed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.
Xion…
oooo
It was just at the break of dawn when Maleficent saw the Erlking again. He limped to the base of the tower, where his Hunt had gathered. He kneeled before Maleficent. Something that he had never done before. The Big Bad Wolf appeared a moment later, smelling badly of smoke and singed flesh.
"He bested me," The Erlking said, as he knelt on his hands and knees. "If I were a mortal being…he would have slain me. His power is such that I have never seen before. Not in all my years. Not in any age."
"He wields two Keyblades," Maleficent said. "Throughout this entire age, he and only one other have held two Keyblades for themselves."
"You chose your champion well," The Erlking said. "Better than I could have ever dreamed, Sister. That was the most magnificent fight."
"And Brother, you know the conditions," Maleficent said. "Through my proxy, I have bested you. The Wild Hunt is mine."
"Yes," The Erlking said. "I understand, Sister."
Maleficent grinned, thin as parchment and then she waved her staff. The orb glowed green and the eyes of the gathered goblins and trolls, the changelings, the redcaps, the enfields and hellhounds and all the others of the Erlking's hunt began to glow. It matched the flames of her staff. The staff that was tied to all the powers of Hell…
The Wild Hunt was hers. A veritable army of fae. Just as she planned. Roxas had done exactly what she had wanted him to do.
A/N: I am so, so sorry this chapter took so long, my dearest readers. A mixture of writer's block and fatigue and simply difficulty with the material kept me from getting this one out to you on time.
With that said, I hope you all enjoyed this one, my dearest readers! I know I enjoyed writing it.
Maleficent being a fairy is based on both the original fairy tale and the original film, though she is usually acknowledged as a witch. I took it a step further and had her be direct kin of the Erlking.
Roxas using Dark Firaga wasn't something I had originally planned when setting out with this fic, but I figured, if Riku can use it, why not Roxas?
Thank you for reading, my dearest readers. Please leave a comment if you're so inclined.
I appreciate each and every one of you!