Hearts of Stone Chapter One: Origins
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or anything else by Disney, though I am a huge fan of all things Disney. Narnia, which belongs to the late great C.S. Lewis's estate. Magic: The Gathering is owned by Wizards of the Coast. Other Disclaimers will come as worlds are explored.
So, for a bit of an explanation: The original Hearts of Stone was posted on this site over a Decade ago. It was a mess. Basically just me trying to find an excuse to toss my favorite Disney properties at each other. It had no plot and no end point in mind. It was trash. I'm a better writer now, and I think I can do better. So I'm rewriting this story, now with an outline and goal. Some chapters will be similar to the original version, but most of them are being rewritten into this. I hope you like it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
London, England; 1940. Into the Mystic, Soho
Una awakened from stone sleep with a massive roar. Her eyes flashed red briefly before looking out to London skyline, hoping against hope that Griff and Goliath were on their way back.
Leo stepped out to the balcony. He placed a talon on Una's shoulder.
"Una," he said softly, his leonine feature soft and mournful. "It's been a week since they left. Griff and Goliath are not coming home."
She shook her head. "I know it doesn't make sense Leo, but my heart tells me that he's not dead."
"You should come down to the shop," Leo said, "It's not safe for you up here. Tintar's got a nice pot of tea on, and there's someone here to see you."
Una smiled softy and slipped into the upstairs window of the shop. She walked over to a wardrobe and pulled out a long black cloak. She put it on, covering her angelic wings, her pink dress and her horse-like hooves. Leo had already donned his cloak. The pair of British gargoyles headed down the stairs to the main floor of their shop.
Into the Mystic was usually open all night, but since Griff and Goliath had vanished last week, the store had been closed. It wasn't that unusual, with the war on, many shops were closed, but it placed a strain on the gargoyles for whom money was always tight. The rest of the clan lived out in the country, on a modest estate, known as Knight's Spur. The Shop, which had been clan property for generations, provided revenue for the gargoyles. It wasn't easy to feed a clan of over a hundred gargoyles.
The clan had always kept it low-key. No more than three gargoyles running the shop at a time Leo, Una, and Griff had been those three. Until a Scottish gargoyle by the name Goliath arrived during the air raids last week. He and Griff had gone out to fight the Nazis, and had not returned.
When Pog, the clan leader, heard that Griff had vanished; he'd sent Tintar to the shop to help out. Una had not liked that; she'd felt as though they'd given up on Griff.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tintar was from the same rookery generation as Leo and Una, the clutch that had hatched in 1898. At 42 years old, they were the biological equivalents of 21 year old humans.
Tintar's fur was black, and like most London Gargoyles, he had the appearance of a heraldic beast: a lion. He had a pair of black, feathered wings, currently hidden by his cloak. He wore a pair of black jeans on under his cloak. Gargoyles had no need for shoes and Tintar did not like to wear shirts, though he was required to wear a cloak so that the customers would assume that his lion-like gargoyle face was a mask.
Humans can be so daft, Tintar thought as he looked up at the stairs. Leo had convinced Una to come down, that was good. Una was a beautiful gargoyle, and of course she was Griff's girl. They hadn't mated yet, but it had been considered a matter of time. And then came the call that Griff had gone missing...
Tintar had always looked up to Griff, and now…it seemed like he was gone forever. He died protecting those he cared about. A gargoyle could not ask for a more honorable death. He glanced back at their human visitor, who simply waited patiently by the counter, standing next to the till.
He watched Una's blank face as she descended. She had the features of a unicorn. A horse-like head, and small horn jutting from her forehead, like a sharp spike. She often decorated it with jewelry. She had snow-white fur and underneath her cloak a pair of elegant, angelic feathered-wings.
Leo by contrast was much less graceful. Like Tintar, his heraldic form was a lion, but Leo's fur was a golden color, so he looked more like a real lion, even though there was no genetic relationship with lions or unicorns or eagles.
Una's face brightened a little when she recognized the man waiting in the shop.
"Jack!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Hello Una," the man said he looked empathetic. "I heard about Griff, I am so sorry. He was a noble gargoyle, he will be missed."
Una looked away, bitterly for a moment.
Jack Lewis was one of the few people who knew the secret of Into the Mystic.
He was well trusted among the London clan, as he had a noble soul as well as a keen and open mind.
"We heard your radio broadcast the other day," Leo said stepping forward. "It was very thought-provoking."
"I'm glad that you enjoyed it," Jack said, "But I'm not here about the broadcasts…I am here because I wanted your professional opinions. A friend of mine found something…unusual…"
"Really?" Leo asked cocking his eye.
"Real magic then?" Una asked.
"That's what I'm here to find out," Jack replied.
Tintar turned and walked over to the shop sign, flipping it to "Closed"
"We'll be closing up indefinitely, soon," He said, "It's getting too dangerous to stay here in the city…"
"I know the feeling," Jack said. "Just the other day, I spoke with a dear friend who sent her children to stay with Professor Diggory Kirke out in the country. You remember him don't you?"
Una smiled "Yes," she said. "He had that apple tree in the yard behind his house. I always thought that there was something unusual about that tree."
Jack reached into his jacket and pulled out a small box and placed it on the counter.
The trio of gargoyles looked closely at the box. It was decorated with something that looked vaguely like Norse runes. Around the keyhole on the box was a small symbol. It appeared to be a small circle with two smaller circles attached at the top.
"What is it?" Tintar asked.
"I don't really know," Jack said. "But I knew it was something special. It has a magical feel about it. I was certain that you'd be able to find the answer."
"Where'd it come from?" Leo asked, bending down and looking at it closely…
"John found it," Jack said. "Washed up on a river bank near Oxford."
"Have you opened it?" Una asked.
"Sadly no," Jack relied. "I don't have the key."
"Well," Leo said. "That shouldn't be a problem."
"This looks like Atlantean," Una said, examining the runes closely…
"Tintar," she said, "Would you get the Shepherd's Journal for me? Top shelf, of the genuine books in the back." Tintar immediately headed into the back room.
"What's that?" Jack asked curiously.
"We purchased it from the estate of a man named Preston Whitmore," Una said. "It is a supposed to be an eye-witness account of Atlantis. Got into quite the bidding war for it too."
"Really?" Jack said, very interestedly.
"It has a translation key for deciphering Atlantean runes," Una said as Tintar returned and handed him the book.
"Heard a rumor that he wasn't dead," Leo chuckled. "That he faked his death. They say that he used the journal to actually find Atlantis, and that he's got a crystal from the sunken city that prevents him from aging."
"Ah yes," Jack said. "I have heard of him…there are a great many rumors surrounding his estate and his death."
"It's utter hogwash," Una said. "If Whitmore found Atlantis, using this book, and then faked his death, why on earth would he allow the book to go up in the estate sale?"
She shook her head.
"All right," She said, rifling through the book. "According to this, this IS Atlantean. It says; 'peren le mot gamos yoh'. You will know the traveler."
"That's a bit odd, isn't it?" Leo said. "I wonder what it means. Ah well, let's crack it open, shall we?"
Leo took the box, and then dug his fore-talon into the keyhole. The keyhole snapped and the lid popped.
"I could have done that," said Jack, clearly annoyed.
Leo shrugged and opened the box. Inside were two objects, a small scroll, and a small red bag.
Una frowned.
"Well?" Jack asked curiously. "What is it, Una?"
"Not sure," Una said. "Looks like there's an inscription on this bag...which...appears to be filled with...sand?"
Jack frowned. "Sand? What does the inscription say?"
"It's also Atlantean," Leo said. "It looks like it says..."
He flipped through the pages of the journal and squinted at the small gold glyphs woven into the bag. "The dust will ignite the Spark."
"What on earth does that mean," Jack asked.
"No idea," Una replied.
"Curious," Jack said. "It does remind me a bit of something that Professor Kirke told me about his Uncle once…Very, very curious."
"Let's see about the Scroll," Una said.
She gently picked up the scroll and unfurled it.
"Well?" Leo asked.
"It's blank," she said.
"Even more curious," Jack said.
Tintar could not help but stare at the bag. Something about it seemed to reach out to him.
"All right," Jack said. "This truly is fascinating, but I really, must be going, not all of us are nocturnal you know, and you can't tell when Gerry will attack again. I want to know more about what you find out about this. Wire me a message, please."
"Of course, Jack," Una responded. She gingerly picked up the bag, looking it over closely; she then placed it back in the box and set it on the counter. She then embraced Jack before he turned and went towards the door.
He ducked out into the street and headed towards his home. As if in response to his earlier words the air raid alarms went off. Tintar watched the humans out in the street start running towards the shelters.
The gargoyles had no choice but to go about their usual business. They could not go to a bomb shelter like the humans. They were however attempting to gather up items that they felt were too valuable to leave behind when they left the shop. They were going to try for their estate the next night. Una was not happy about this but she went along with it.
As they were gathering up antiques and other knick-knacks, Tintar noticed the "blank scroll" still lying on the counter. He walked over and picked it up. The gargoyle furrowed his brow as he examined the scroll closely. As if in response to his staring…inked words in English began to appear on the scroll.
"Una," he called out in surprise, as his companions were not in the main shop.
"Just a moment, Tintar," She called back.
The words slowly seeped onto the parchment:
A way for a walker who seeks to find,
A way to leave their world behind
Speak the words written on your heart
And soon you'll soon ignite within a land apart.
Seek thy fortune but know this rule:
A different world lies behind each pool.
"What on earth?" Tintar said, frowning. He glanced at the box containing the bag of sand. He could sense something…Something calling to him. As if destiny itself was speaking to him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the box…and gently picked up the bag.
He frowned, gently pulling it open and looking at the sand within. It was very fine, powdery, like dust. He gently dipped a talon in.
The reaction was instantaneous. Volts of electricity sparked out of the sand, lightning began shooting out…and surrounding him. The electrical energy formed into a sphere and surrounded him, the gargoyle was unable to see anything, blinded by the white-hot light.
Electricity continued to flow around the gargoyle it formed into a ball of lightning…and then vanished, taking the gargoyle with it. The bag fell to the ground, now empty.
Leo walked into the room and looked around.
"Tintar?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Wood between Worlds, A Place beyond Time.
Tintar gasped for breath as he came splashing out of the pool. He looked around. He was standing in a forest. There were trees and pools of water every ten feet or so. The sky was dark and lightning flashed in the distance. A guinea pig shuffled along the ground at his feet. Tintar swallowed and glanced at the Gate as he stepped out of the pool.
Ever since he was a hatchling, he'd dreamed of an adventure. He was always a shy, quiet, introverted gargoyle, but he'd always secretly desired an adventure like he'd read of in books, or like the tales that Pog had regaled him about his youth.
This was an adventure indeed, one that would put Pog's old tales to shame. He paused and looked around.
"No sense in standing around here," he said out loud to no one in particular. He removed his cloak and climbed a tree. He glanced around when he reached the top of the tree. The storm seemed to swirl in a spiral pattern. He peered at the eye of this storm. There appeared to be nothing but trees and small pools for miles He attempted to glide, but there wasn't enough wind. He fell about fifty feet and splashed in the pool he'd first arrived in.
"Walking it is." He muttered, gathering up his cloak.
Tintar began walking through the forest, which was dead quiet. Besides the Guinea Pig, there was no sign of any kind of life…yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. There was nothing in this forest but pools of water every thirty feet or so. The sky was dark and stormy, and lightning flashed in the distance, but it never seemed to rain.
Tintar walked for almost an hour, but found that the terrain never changed…
"Well," Tintar scowled. "Some adventure this is…I'm bored to tears."
He walked a few paces more, but everything was identical.
"Is there nothing in this forest?" He wondered. No sooner did he ask this question, then one of the nearby pools began glowing brightly.
"What?" Tintar said, looking confused. He stepped towards the glowing pool. The water was churning, not calm and still like the others. He gingerly placed his left foot into the pool.
The pool grabbed a hold of his foot and began dragging him in, the gargoyle was unable to struggle; the force pulling him into the pool was far too great. It sucked him down.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Traverse Town
In a still back alley, a sphere of lightning appeared and expanded. The electricity instantly vanished and Tintar came tumbling out. He slammed into a pair of garbage cans hard, and looked around as the electrical charge in the air began to dissipate. He clambered to his feet and rubbed his head. He could still smell the ozone in the air. He wandered out of the alleyway and looked around.
He appeared to be in a city of some kind, it reminded him of images he'd seen of the late 1800s London, but it was cleaner than London ever was. He appeared to be near a town square. He stepped out of the shadows and saw a large sign over the building opposite his alley.
Traverse Town Hall.
"Traverse town?" Tintar wondered worriedly. This wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind. His intention had been to return home…But this was not home. He glanced up at the sky…and his blood ran cold. This was not earth…not London…where-ever he was he couldn't tell…There was no moon…and nothing but stars…One of the stars suddenly blinked out.
Tintar bit his lower lip, then cloaked his wings and wandered into the town. He was still wearing his cloak from Into the Mystic. He quickly draped it over his wings, and pulled up the hood.
He began moving down the quiet street. Creatures watched him from the shadows. Tintar's gargoyle senses told him that he was being watched, but he wasn't certain by who…or what.
He turned a corner onto a busier street. It was busier only because there was a young human girl playing a guitar in front of a tavern. The tavern's name hung in faded letters above the girl, who couldn't have been more than 16. The sign read Louie's, Tintar walked cautiously towards the tavern.
As he drew closer he heard the girl singing.
"I still miss you," She sang. "I miss your smile, and I still shed a tear every once in a while, and even though we're different now, you're still here somehow, my heart won't let you and just need you to know, I still miss you. Sha la la la la la la la la, I still miss you."
Tintar watched in surprise as a fox, standing on two legs and wearing overalls and suspenders accompanied by a bear in similar garb came around the corner and entered the bar. The fox dropped a small bag of coins into the guitar case lying next to the girl.
"God bless you," she said, she sounded so forlorn, so hurt.
Tintar walked by the girl, but couldn't resist tossing half a pound into the girl's case.
"God bless you," she said smiling at him. Tintar felt odd. She clearly saw his face, but didn't react to the fact that he was a gargoyle. Considering the strange anthropomorphic animals that had just entered the bar…perhaps that wasn't so strange after all…
He decided to take a chance and entered the bar, it was warm inside, and instantly Tintar felt guilty about the young girl singing outside in the cold dark street. He glanced around the bar and wasn't quite sure what to think.
The fox and the bear sat at the bar drinking mugs of beer. Further down, a there was a teal-colored platypus in a fedora sat drinking a root beer. A monkey walked by in a tropical aloha shirt. This caused Tintar to take a step back in surprise. Another monkey walked by, delivering food to individual tables. Behind the bar, to Tintar's utter shock, was an Orangutan in a tropical shirt and straw hat.
"Hey cuz! What'll it be?" the simian barkeep asked Tintar. Tintar stared at the ape in utter, utter shock. Of all the things he had expected to see…Talking apes were not at the top of his list. Still, the Orangutan—Louie, Tintar presumed—Was doing something that even Tintar hadn't truly experienced before. True equality. The ape didn't think Tintar was a man in a mask…Nor, did it seem, did he care.
"Er…uh," Tintar stammered. "Do you accept British currency?"
"Course Cuz!" The Ape Bartender said. "This is Traverse Town, we've got travelers from all parts coming up in here. We take all munny!"
"Er…I'll just have a root beer," Tintar said nervously as he placed a few British half-pence on the counter. The barkeep muttered something about new arrivals and brought him a sarsaparilla.
"Well you're a new face," a voice said. A pale woman with a scruffy mane of gray hair and golden eyes approached him. Tintar noticed immediately that though she looked human, she did not smell human at all. She smelled like an owl.
"One glass of Apple Blood, Louie," she called out to the barkeep.
"Don't you mean, apple juice?" Tintar wondered.
"No," she replied, smirking. She leaned on her staff, which appeared to be made of wood and topped with a carved image of an owl.
The orangutan rolled his eyes and slid a glass of the reddest liquid Tintar had ever seen down the bar. The woman caught it with ease and chugged it like a shot.
"Where am I?" Tintar asked.
"Traverse Town is a way station of sorts," she said. "Lots of lost souls drifting through here. Anyone or thing who manages to survive the destruction of their World. Or occasionally those who can Travel all wind up here. Which one are you?"
"I...Touched some sand," Tintar said. "Found myself in a Wood, and then wandered here."
"Traveler then," she said.
"I'm not sure how I get home," Tintar said.
The woman shrugged. "Can't help you there. There's a lot of Worlds out there. I hail from a World known as the Boiling Isles, myself. Can't say I've ever seen your kind there before."
"Is there anyone who can help me?"
She pursed her lips for a moment, then reached out and caught another glass that Louie slid down the bar towards her, taking a thoughtful sip.
"Yes," she said. "There might be someone who can help you. He's a bit of an oddball. Which is saying something coming from me. But he's kind of an expert when it comes to traveling between Worlds. Lives on the edge of town. Make a left out of Louie's and follow the street to the...Weird looking building. You can't miss it."
"My thanks," Tintar murmured.
"All right Eda," Louie suddenly said. "End of the month. Time to pay your tab. And I don't want any of your junk this time. I want cash. Some kind of currency. Period. It can be Semolians, or coins, or crescents...but it has to be spendable."
"Well would you look at the time," Eda said. "Hate to cut and run, Louie, but..."
Eda threw a briefcase into the air, which suddenly unfolded into a door, which Eda promptly dashed through. It slammed shut before Louie could react, then folded up and vanished.
"Oh!" Louie threw a rag down and grunted.
"Can...can I pay her tab?" Tintar asked. "I have some British currency on me."
"Probably not enough to cover her debt," the orangutan replied. "But I'll take what you're willing to spend."
Tintar reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out his coin purse, which contained his allowance from working at the shop. Louie pulled out an adding machine as Tintar pulled out what little money he had.
"Okay," Louie said, holding up a magnifying glass with one of his hind-hands and looking over the money Tintar had dropped on the table; £2 14/5. "That covers her Apple Blood for tonight, and some of her drinks from last weekend. Plus your root beer. But that's it."
Tintar nodded. "Least I can do after she helped me."
Louie shrugged. "Your money not mine."
Tintar nodded at the ape and made his way towards the door. "Time to find that expert on traveling between worlds," he muttered to himself.