Half-Heartless
Chapter Nineteen
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
My tail swishes angrily as the clock on the wall ticks. I struggle, but the chains are strong. It wouldn't matter anyway; Maleficent's been watching me every second since I came here. She could just summon some Defenders and have them beat me to a pulp. So here I sit, bored out of my skull. I know I shouldn't be bored, but just sitting here... It's not exactly the adventure I had in mind when I first boarded the Gummi Ship.
Ever since I became half-Heartless, I vowed to never teleport - it reminds me too much of what I lost (whoa - deja vu, anyone?). A second ago I tried breaking the vow, but the chains are obviously enchanted in some way. I would need some kind of metal or stone to break these things. Plus they're digging into my skin. It hurts. Badly. Maybe I should have stayed at Traverse Town with Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith.
Oh, yeah. I couldn't talk back then.
"You know, I used to be in choir." I remark, more to myself than anyone else. "But it took about a month of practice to get in - it still takes awhile for me to get used to a new song. I always started out by singing off key. The only one I can really remember is-"
Maleficent hits me lightly on the head with her staff. "Hold your tongue, brat."
"I don't have one!" I reply sarcastically, then duck my head to avoid another swing. Maleficent scowls at me, but does nothing else.
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
[Fate?]
[Yeah?]
[I'm bored.]
[I know. So am I.]
[Do you think that we're supposed to be bored? Are prisoners usually not bored?]
[I'm not sure. I've read plenty of books on the subject, but they were fiction.]
[Have you read any of those Choose-Your-Own adventures? I have.]
[Well, DUH I have!]
[Oh yeah...]
I must be losing my mind.
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
It's been exactly a day since I came here. Sora and everyone else are probably camping out in Halloween Town before journeying to Neverland. I sigh. I was really looking forward to seeing Neverland, after hearing all those stories Storm told me about it. The stories about flying if you have faith - not that I need faith anymore, I have Fate - and fairies and flying boys... Oh, I wish I could see it. The first star to the right.
Dragon's Nest... That was where my friends were being held captive. Who were they being watched by? No one? Then... My brain suddenly screeched to a stop. If no one was watching them, then Storm could break their bonds with his sword and they would be free. Oh, but how would they ever know???
[Hey, Fate, can you talk to others besides me?]
[Why, yes, of course.]
[Then can you tell Maria and Storm-]
[I'm one step ahead of you. Hold on.]
I hum an off-key tune to myself. It was the song we were singing the day the Heartless attacked, but it no longer made me feel sad. If I hadn't gone half-Heartless, I never would have met Maria or Storm or Mel or Kristina or Sora... I shudder. What if kismet had planned out an entirely different destiny for me? And why the heck did my mom name me Destiny?
My train of thought branches off. If I could have chosen my own name, it would be something cute or pretty-sounding, like Aprilette or Candra. Since I was born in April, I allowed some of my friends to call me the former (Aprilette, in case you have short term memory loss).
Suddenly, I come to think about all of my friends and family back in the Fourth District. Mom, Dad, Shawn, Natalie, Linda, Fowler, Eloise, and Zeke. I wasn't exactly popular, but I had four close friends and a happy family.
[Sorry to interrupt your thought marathon, but I delivered the message. Storm asks where you are.]
"Where in Hollow Bastion am I?" I inquire.
Maleficent looks up from a book she's reading and raises her eyebrows. "Great Hall. Why?"
"No reason."
[You hear that?]
[I'm on my way!]
"In the face of darkness, I shall aid.
Wishes will grant, dreams will mend.
Light did come and it has stayed.
A helping hand it should lend."
I softly repeat the verse of the only song I can remember to myself. It fills me with cheer. Everything worked out so far. Fate's telling Storm and Maria my plan, and I'm comfortably (not really) waiting here. But how long will it be before Maleficent says it's time and kills me? The thought of death makes - and this may sound reeeeeaaaaaaaally cliche - my life flash before my eyes.
What would my friends do if I wasn't here?
Maria... She takes care of me like I'm her daughter. She's so protective. Underneath that baby-sitter outlook rests a caring, fun-loving soul that can make me laugh no matter where or when with her silly antics. A Bouncywild really fits Maria - she's a monkey.
Storm is so sweet. Like Maria, he takes care of me, but it feels more like he's a brother instead of a father. I can easily say that he's my best friend without feeling guilty about my other friends. Boys are naturally stronger than girls, and since most of the gang consists of girls, Storm is a big help.
Mel. Little Melanie. The semi-preppish Green Requiem would rather complain about stuff than notice the fun things in life. Sometimes she checks up on me, but she's not protective like Storm and Maria, and Mel's a little selfish. But what's an adventure without a tagalong?
Poor Kristina. There's practically nothing between her ears besides air currents. Her sunny personality makes up for this, though. The goofy Wyvern is pretty much the overall comic relief for this journey. She makes me laugh and is very friendly and bouncy.
[They're on their way.]
[Thanks.]
Tick, tock, tick...
Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong!
Midnight.
Two Defenders appear and pull keys out of nowhere. They unlock my chains. I have a second to numbly lay on the ground. My legs are asleep. Maleficent reaches down and grabs me by the skin on my neck. Despite my cries of protest, the Heartless hold me while the sorceress' staff is pressed to my forehead.
"You've caused us nothing but trouble." Maleficent sneers at me. The tip of her staff is hot. I try to get away from the burning sensation, but the Defenders have a tight hold on me. "Now, little Destiny, it's time to pay for what you've done."
My eyes nervously dart about as perspiration trails down my face. First to the large heart-shaped door guarded by electricity, then to the winding stairs covered in red velvet and to the dark area at the bottom. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
I would like to say good-bye to my friends first.
I wanted to make Mel laugh.
I wish that I had gotten Maria to lighten up a little.
I could've learned a circus trick and paired up with Kristina.
And Storm... I wanted to see if what Kristina said about him was true or not.
"Any last words, chinchilla?" Maleficent teases.
I glare at her. "I'm a monkey," I correct her, my voice a low growl, "And Sora's going to win. You're a wimp."
The woman's eyes flash at me. I wince as small lightning seems to travel from her fingers to the tip of her weapon. The burning sensation increases. I hold in a scream of pain. Maleficent's eyes meet mine, and she smirks coldly. "THUNDAGA!"
A horrible pain explodes through me, unlike any I've ever experienced. The electricity sears through me, a tormenting whip, a terrible storm raging in every empty space within me. Tears drip to the floor as I feel every fiber of my frame lose its strength and give in to exhaustion. CRASH! BANG! The pain stops, but my entire body is still throbbing. I lay limp on the floor, my vision flickering. Maria grabs me and hugs me.
"Des, I'm so glad we got here before you died!" She cries. The Bouncywild watches as Storm fends off the Defenders. Maleficent clenches her teeth and disappears into a dark portal.
Once the Defenders are dead, Storm walks over to us and kneels down. "Hi, Des. Can you talk?" I try, but I break out in a coughing fit. "I'm guessing that that means 'no'." He takes me from Maria and pushes off the ground. "Let's go find someone who can help Des."
"Right." Maria nods.
What would I do without my closest friends, Maria and Storm?
I fall unconscious (is that the forty-fifth time?) sometime while we're scouring the maze-like corridors of Hollow Bastion. Unlike so many other times, this time I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
But before I do, I realize that Maria and Storm's voices were echoing. Their voices had been lowered.
***
The first sensation I feel is that of a warm liquid absorbing into my skin. Trembling, I take a struggled breath and open my eyes. A wonderful bubbly feeling brings my pained limbs back to life, and I shakily rise to my feet and reach for support. Maria's silky paw grabs mine before I can fall. Storm screws the lid back onto the empty Potion bottle and throws it over his shoulder. I hear the empty clattering sound as it skids across the marble floor of Hollow Bastion.
I look around the cozy room. Shelf upon shelf is stuffed with books. A winding marble staircase with golden railing leads up to the second floor, which holds even more books. "Wow... Where are we?"
"The library," Maria informs me. The sound of her voice reminds me that the two of them were currently speaking with human voices. At my strange look, Maria shrugs. "If you're wondering about our voices, don't ask us. We woke up and we were speaking in English."
"So, what's up?" I inquire, pulling out a chair and sitting in it.
Storm flies up and sits on top of a shelf. "It turns out that everyone is after you, because you seem to be the pinnacle of the recent betrayals, which, of course, are you, me, Maria, Mel, and Kristina. Because of that, you're looked upon as a threat. All of the traitors are to be captured, and you're to be killed. They want us alive. They don't care whether you're dead or not. Big reward if they get us all."
"What's the reward?" I ask, horrified, yet interested.
"After the Heartless helps defeat the Keyblade master," Maria chimes in, "They get their heart back, and they're sent to another universe so that they won't get bugged by the Heartless any longer. Not only that, but this freak-o named Ansem says that they'll get a guardian Heartless to protect them. If the captor isn't Heartless, then they get everything minus the 'getting their heart back' part."
"Unfortunately for Oogie Boogie, he was defeated before this could be arranged." Storm finishes. I silently stare into space, letting the whole thing sink in. The I recall what Fate told me about Ansem.
"Ansem," I murmur, just loud enough so that my friends can hear. "He created the Heartless. He also invented a machine that created artificial Heartless."
My friends are surprised. Maria blinks and looks at Storm. "Neither of us can remember our human years. Do you think that we might be artificial Heartless? That would be just terrible!"
"Naw." Storm shakes his head reassuringly. My Bouncywild friend relaxes a little, but you can tell she's not convinced.
A light falls through a stained glass window. I look up. "The first light of dawn. Sora should be packing up and getting ready to go to Neverland. Wanna meet him there, guys?"
"Sure." Maria agrees. Storm nods.
"GROUP HUG!" Storm declares jokingly. I giggle as we all hug each other. Storm teleports us all away into a whole other world.
It's freezing cold. A mist has settled over the area. I can faintly make out poles going up into the ceiling, and a ladder all the way across the room is distinguished by a light coming from the ceiling. The floor is normal, but the wall is curved, and creaking noises are coming from the floor. Everything is made of wood.
"The freezer," Storm whispers. "If we're quiet enough, we can make our way across the room to the ladder without getting attacked by Chlo - I mean, the Heartless."
Quiet as the three blind mice, minus the blind part, we creep slowly across the room. I feel like I'm going to die of hypothermia, it's so cold. The floorboards creak loudly with every step. The eerie feeling that one is being watched by millions of little eyes chills me. My own neon yellow orbs dart nervously around the room, knowing that Heartless are everywhere, waiting for us to trip or make one mistake...
A shadow moves, throwing something out into the open. Maria jumps to avoid it, but falls on her bottom, making a sickeningly loud CREEAAAK noise. Knowing what to expect, Storm jumps backwards to dodge a Shadow's swipe and unsheathes his amethyst weapon. I summon the halberd and drop into a battle stance, while Maria readies her slingshot.
The pitch black Heartless melt out of the floor and are joined by an assortment of magic Heartless. Whenever I'm not fending off my own adversaries, I pause to look at Storm. He's obviously a lot stronger than he was. Either that, or he's gotten a lot more agile and clever. A Yellow Opera throws itself at him, but the Air Pirate takes wing and swiftly flies above it, crashing his sword down on the thing's head and destroying it before it had time to react. A quick Strike Raid destroys a conglomeration of Shadows.
Maria leaps around like the limber monkey she is, dodging attacks and tossing bananas, striking random Heartless with her slingshot. She teases the enemies and scuffles off faster than they can follow. My friend hops behind me and attacks a Red Nocturne that had been charging up its ability. I hastily thank her and go back to fighting.
After awhile, the Heartless dwindle away to nothing and the three of us collapse on the ground, exhausted. Maria finally gets up and wanders over the the ladder. Storm and I follow close behind.
I'd spent so much time in the freezer that my cold skin feels like it's burning now that it's exposed to warmth. I sit on the floor for a moment, letting myself sweat as I adapt to the sudden change in temperature. I look around. We're in some sort of narrow corridor. There is no sound but the gentle rocking of the ship.
"I'm sleepy," I declare without thinking, blinking rapidly to keep my eyes from closing. Storm and Maria start snickering despite the fact that we're lost in the middle of a ship that's floating listlessly in the air.
"Can't imagine why," Maria giggles, "You just had a two-hour-long nap. But you were probably hurting, weren't you?" She starts to walk off. "I'll look around for food. Storm's told so many stories about Neverland that I actually recognize it, and I should know the place like the back of my hand. Storm, keep an eye on Des."
"Yes, ma'am!" I smile as Storm salutes my Bouncywild friend. Maria just rolls her eyes and walks out of the room. He sits down next to me. "You really tired, Des? You were unconscious for quite awhile."
"...Was I really unconscious for two hours?" I inquire. Both of us giggle and snicker.
Storm shrugs. "I dunno. We don't have watches." He nudges me. "And if you're sleepy, then sleep. No use falling asleep in the middle of a fight later on. You need energy." He pokes me. I poke him back, and a huge poke- fight unfolds.
Finally I yawn and lean on him. "I'll go to sleep now."
"Sweet dreams, Destiny."
"Yeah, whatever."
***
"Wake up, 'leepyhead." Fate prods me with the halberd.
"Shut up. Why do you always have to bug me?" I mutter. Fate ignores me and continues prodding. Finally I roll over and survey my surroundings. I'm on the sunbathed hill. "So, what's up, Fate? Any news? What about questions that have been wandering around in my head, but I haven't noticed?"
The winged Bouncywild makes the halberd disappear. She crosses her arms over her chest. "Well, there's been the recurring ones that are weaved into your thoughts and make them sound kinda curious, then there's the one about if Storm really like-likes you, and the most recent one about you sleeping for two hours. And, actually, you slept for two hours and a half."
"Wow, that's helpful." My voice oozes sarcasm. "D'ya know if Storm DOES like-like me? It would help to pull me away from driving myself crazy."
"Why, do you like him back?"
I glare at her, aggravated. "Why are you asking yourself? No sense in that."
"You know," Fate remarks, "You talk to yourself. A lot. I can ask myself whatever I want, too. So, do you like-like him back?"
"Yes, no, maybe so."
"You do. You know you do."
"I can't HEAR you..."
I plug my ears. Fate just keeps on chanting that I like Storm. I can hear her through my fingertips. That's the thing about Fate; she can be so obnoxious. Eventually, I turn to her. "Let's talk about something else, shall we." It was a statement, not a question.
"Okay..." She seems disappointed. Fate blinks. "Well, there's not much to talk about. Since we're not on opposite sides anymore, we can't fight and make things interesting. And I've pretty much given up on the mysterious 'you and I are one' thing."
"If I told others that I talk to myself, they'd think I was schizophrenic." I blurt out. Okay, where did THAT come from? My alter ego just stares at me pointedly.
"In a way, you are."
"That means you are too."
"Yeah, but I'm talking to you with your body, remember?"
"I hate you."
We giggle a little bit, which seems a bit odd for Fate. She smiles at me. "You have a good sense of humor, Des."
I blink. "Wow, since when do you call me Des?"
"I do now."
We giggle a little more. I grin like an idiot, overcome with happiness. What would I do without Fate to poke at me in my dreams?
[Author's Note]
Maji: Xx I made Fate kinda OOC. And the chapter had a crappy ending. *sigh* At least the chapter's long.
Fate: *clings to Alana* I have fans! ^^ *is extremely happy*
Maji: ...Okay, THAT was worse than the story. Oh, and the excuse for taking so long... I was abducted by aliens, and got my memory wiped, and I just remembered my story.
Gypsy: *whispers* Actually, Vivi hit her over the head with a frying pan. She got amnesia, and we just recently managed to remind her of Half- Heartless. ^^; I made up a story so that Maji wouldn't kick Vivi out...
Storm: *is quietly fuming in the corner*
Destiny: *giggles like a fangirl* It looks like this story's headed for the Destorm pairing!
Storm: Shut up...
Maji: Who knows? I have plenty of twists in my mind.
Storm: Please, kill me off. By all that is good, kill me off.
Maji: Maybe I will. Maybe I won't.
Maria: Des, maybe becoming a couple with Storm wouldn't be that great. Remember, Maji took that Mary Sue test, and if you fell in love, you were borderline, and if you didn't you definitely weren't a Mary Sue...
Destiny: *grimaces* Don't remind me. Just the thought of being one of +them+ strikes fear in my heart.
Fate: *prods her* +Half+-heart.
Destiny: Whatever...
Mel: Going for the mysterious effect? May I call you Squall?
Destiny: Whatev- Shut up.
--Goodies--
-Onstage, Destiny seems like a gentle little Bouncywild, Maria seems like an overprotective helper, Storm seems like a friendly, kind jokester, Mel seems kinda selfish, and Kristina is hyper. How are they Behind the Scenes?
BTS = Behind the Scenes
Destiny - Kind of air-headed, BTS Destiny tends to follow others around and see what they're doing. She also has a MAJOR crush on Storm, but never told him - he'd probably shove her off a cliff if she did. Destiny also likes to annoy the heck out of Maria and Storm.
Maria - BTS Maria is a bit of a tomboy. She's the most mature one of the group, but she still possesses the love to party that her story-self does. Maria LOVES teasing Destiny and Storm about how they go great together, even thought Storm chases after her with his sword when she does.
Storm - He's... Kinda crazy. Oblivious to Des's crush on him, he spends most of his time writing his own stories that Maji refuses to post on the 'net - they're gruesome and morbid. All in all, Storm is one deranged, homical psycho... Not that that's BAD or anything...
Mel - BTS Mel is like Destiny; air-headed. She has a love for nature and animals, and is a bit naive. BTS Mel is sweet and caring, plus she spends most of her time trying to convince Storm that killing is wrong. It never works, though.
Kristina - Lessee, since she's a friend-insert, BTS Kristina is more or less the same.
There you have it, folks. The secrets of the HH crew. Yes, they are all idiots, aren't they?
[Disclaimer]
I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Yes, I AM bored. However, I own Destiny, Storm, Maria, Mel, Xavier (I still have a use for him, don't worry), and... Oh, yeah! 'Member Travis, Jai, and Chloe? I own them, too, even though Chloe hasn't even made an appearance yet. So that makes... *counts* four girls, not counting Kristina, and four boys. Kristina belongs to blue fox.
Girls: 5 (including Kristina)
Boys: 4
Canon characters: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Maleficent, and Ansem (kinda). So it's technically 5 1/2.
Chapter Nineteen
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
My tail swishes angrily as the clock on the wall ticks. I struggle, but the chains are strong. It wouldn't matter anyway; Maleficent's been watching me every second since I came here. She could just summon some Defenders and have them beat me to a pulp. So here I sit, bored out of my skull. I know I shouldn't be bored, but just sitting here... It's not exactly the adventure I had in mind when I first boarded the Gummi Ship.
Ever since I became half-Heartless, I vowed to never teleport - it reminds me too much of what I lost (whoa - deja vu, anyone?). A second ago I tried breaking the vow, but the chains are obviously enchanted in some way. I would need some kind of metal or stone to break these things. Plus they're digging into my skin. It hurts. Badly. Maybe I should have stayed at Traverse Town with Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith.
Oh, yeah. I couldn't talk back then.
"You know, I used to be in choir." I remark, more to myself than anyone else. "But it took about a month of practice to get in - it still takes awhile for me to get used to a new song. I always started out by singing off key. The only one I can really remember is-"
Maleficent hits me lightly on the head with her staff. "Hold your tongue, brat."
"I don't have one!" I reply sarcastically, then duck my head to avoid another swing. Maleficent scowls at me, but does nothing else.
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
[Fate?]
[Yeah?]
[I'm bored.]
[I know. So am I.]
[Do you think that we're supposed to be bored? Are prisoners usually not bored?]
[I'm not sure. I've read plenty of books on the subject, but they were fiction.]
[Have you read any of those Choose-Your-Own adventures? I have.]
[Well, DUH I have!]
[Oh yeah...]
I must be losing my mind.
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
It's been exactly a day since I came here. Sora and everyone else are probably camping out in Halloween Town before journeying to Neverland. I sigh. I was really looking forward to seeing Neverland, after hearing all those stories Storm told me about it. The stories about flying if you have faith - not that I need faith anymore, I have Fate - and fairies and flying boys... Oh, I wish I could see it. The first star to the right.
Dragon's Nest... That was where my friends were being held captive. Who were they being watched by? No one? Then... My brain suddenly screeched to a stop. If no one was watching them, then Storm could break their bonds with his sword and they would be free. Oh, but how would they ever know???
[Hey, Fate, can you talk to others besides me?]
[Why, yes, of course.]
[Then can you tell Maria and Storm-]
[I'm one step ahead of you. Hold on.]
I hum an off-key tune to myself. It was the song we were singing the day the Heartless attacked, but it no longer made me feel sad. If I hadn't gone half-Heartless, I never would have met Maria or Storm or Mel or Kristina or Sora... I shudder. What if kismet had planned out an entirely different destiny for me? And why the heck did my mom name me Destiny?
My train of thought branches off. If I could have chosen my own name, it would be something cute or pretty-sounding, like Aprilette or Candra. Since I was born in April, I allowed some of my friends to call me the former (Aprilette, in case you have short term memory loss).
Suddenly, I come to think about all of my friends and family back in the Fourth District. Mom, Dad, Shawn, Natalie, Linda, Fowler, Eloise, and Zeke. I wasn't exactly popular, but I had four close friends and a happy family.
[Sorry to interrupt your thought marathon, but I delivered the message. Storm asks where you are.]
"Where in Hollow Bastion am I?" I inquire.
Maleficent looks up from a book she's reading and raises her eyebrows. "Great Hall. Why?"
"No reason."
[You hear that?]
[I'm on my way!]
"In the face of darkness, I shall aid.
Wishes will grant, dreams will mend.
Light did come and it has stayed.
A helping hand it should lend."
I softly repeat the verse of the only song I can remember to myself. It fills me with cheer. Everything worked out so far. Fate's telling Storm and Maria my plan, and I'm comfortably (not really) waiting here. But how long will it be before Maleficent says it's time and kills me? The thought of death makes - and this may sound reeeeeaaaaaaaally cliche - my life flash before my eyes.
What would my friends do if I wasn't here?
Maria... She takes care of me like I'm her daughter. She's so protective. Underneath that baby-sitter outlook rests a caring, fun-loving soul that can make me laugh no matter where or when with her silly antics. A Bouncywild really fits Maria - she's a monkey.
Storm is so sweet. Like Maria, he takes care of me, but it feels more like he's a brother instead of a father. I can easily say that he's my best friend without feeling guilty about my other friends. Boys are naturally stronger than girls, and since most of the gang consists of girls, Storm is a big help.
Mel. Little Melanie. The semi-preppish Green Requiem would rather complain about stuff than notice the fun things in life. Sometimes she checks up on me, but she's not protective like Storm and Maria, and Mel's a little selfish. But what's an adventure without a tagalong?
Poor Kristina. There's practically nothing between her ears besides air currents. Her sunny personality makes up for this, though. The goofy Wyvern is pretty much the overall comic relief for this journey. She makes me laugh and is very friendly and bouncy.
[They're on their way.]
[Thanks.]
Tick, tock, tick...
Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong!
Midnight.
Two Defenders appear and pull keys out of nowhere. They unlock my chains. I have a second to numbly lay on the ground. My legs are asleep. Maleficent reaches down and grabs me by the skin on my neck. Despite my cries of protest, the Heartless hold me while the sorceress' staff is pressed to my forehead.
"You've caused us nothing but trouble." Maleficent sneers at me. The tip of her staff is hot. I try to get away from the burning sensation, but the Defenders have a tight hold on me. "Now, little Destiny, it's time to pay for what you've done."
My eyes nervously dart about as perspiration trails down my face. First to the large heart-shaped door guarded by electricity, then to the winding stairs covered in red velvet and to the dark area at the bottom. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
I would like to say good-bye to my friends first.
I wanted to make Mel laugh.
I wish that I had gotten Maria to lighten up a little.
I could've learned a circus trick and paired up with Kristina.
And Storm... I wanted to see if what Kristina said about him was true or not.
"Any last words, chinchilla?" Maleficent teases.
I glare at her. "I'm a monkey," I correct her, my voice a low growl, "And Sora's going to win. You're a wimp."
The woman's eyes flash at me. I wince as small lightning seems to travel from her fingers to the tip of her weapon. The burning sensation increases. I hold in a scream of pain. Maleficent's eyes meet mine, and she smirks coldly. "THUNDAGA!"
A horrible pain explodes through me, unlike any I've ever experienced. The electricity sears through me, a tormenting whip, a terrible storm raging in every empty space within me. Tears drip to the floor as I feel every fiber of my frame lose its strength and give in to exhaustion. CRASH! BANG! The pain stops, but my entire body is still throbbing. I lay limp on the floor, my vision flickering. Maria grabs me and hugs me.
"Des, I'm so glad we got here before you died!" She cries. The Bouncywild watches as Storm fends off the Defenders. Maleficent clenches her teeth and disappears into a dark portal.
Once the Defenders are dead, Storm walks over to us and kneels down. "Hi, Des. Can you talk?" I try, but I break out in a coughing fit. "I'm guessing that that means 'no'." He takes me from Maria and pushes off the ground. "Let's go find someone who can help Des."
"Right." Maria nods.
What would I do without my closest friends, Maria and Storm?
I fall unconscious (is that the forty-fifth time?) sometime while we're scouring the maze-like corridors of Hollow Bastion. Unlike so many other times, this time I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
But before I do, I realize that Maria and Storm's voices were echoing. Their voices had been lowered.
***
The first sensation I feel is that of a warm liquid absorbing into my skin. Trembling, I take a struggled breath and open my eyes. A wonderful bubbly feeling brings my pained limbs back to life, and I shakily rise to my feet and reach for support. Maria's silky paw grabs mine before I can fall. Storm screws the lid back onto the empty Potion bottle and throws it over his shoulder. I hear the empty clattering sound as it skids across the marble floor of Hollow Bastion.
I look around the cozy room. Shelf upon shelf is stuffed with books. A winding marble staircase with golden railing leads up to the second floor, which holds even more books. "Wow... Where are we?"
"The library," Maria informs me. The sound of her voice reminds me that the two of them were currently speaking with human voices. At my strange look, Maria shrugs. "If you're wondering about our voices, don't ask us. We woke up and we were speaking in English."
"So, what's up?" I inquire, pulling out a chair and sitting in it.
Storm flies up and sits on top of a shelf. "It turns out that everyone is after you, because you seem to be the pinnacle of the recent betrayals, which, of course, are you, me, Maria, Mel, and Kristina. Because of that, you're looked upon as a threat. All of the traitors are to be captured, and you're to be killed. They want us alive. They don't care whether you're dead or not. Big reward if they get us all."
"What's the reward?" I ask, horrified, yet interested.
"After the Heartless helps defeat the Keyblade master," Maria chimes in, "They get their heart back, and they're sent to another universe so that they won't get bugged by the Heartless any longer. Not only that, but this freak-o named Ansem says that they'll get a guardian Heartless to protect them. If the captor isn't Heartless, then they get everything minus the 'getting their heart back' part."
"Unfortunately for Oogie Boogie, he was defeated before this could be arranged." Storm finishes. I silently stare into space, letting the whole thing sink in. The I recall what Fate told me about Ansem.
"Ansem," I murmur, just loud enough so that my friends can hear. "He created the Heartless. He also invented a machine that created artificial Heartless."
My friends are surprised. Maria blinks and looks at Storm. "Neither of us can remember our human years. Do you think that we might be artificial Heartless? That would be just terrible!"
"Naw." Storm shakes his head reassuringly. My Bouncywild friend relaxes a little, but you can tell she's not convinced.
A light falls through a stained glass window. I look up. "The first light of dawn. Sora should be packing up and getting ready to go to Neverland. Wanna meet him there, guys?"
"Sure." Maria agrees. Storm nods.
"GROUP HUG!" Storm declares jokingly. I giggle as we all hug each other. Storm teleports us all away into a whole other world.
It's freezing cold. A mist has settled over the area. I can faintly make out poles going up into the ceiling, and a ladder all the way across the room is distinguished by a light coming from the ceiling. The floor is normal, but the wall is curved, and creaking noises are coming from the floor. Everything is made of wood.
"The freezer," Storm whispers. "If we're quiet enough, we can make our way across the room to the ladder without getting attacked by Chlo - I mean, the Heartless."
Quiet as the three blind mice, minus the blind part, we creep slowly across the room. I feel like I'm going to die of hypothermia, it's so cold. The floorboards creak loudly with every step. The eerie feeling that one is being watched by millions of little eyes chills me. My own neon yellow orbs dart nervously around the room, knowing that Heartless are everywhere, waiting for us to trip or make one mistake...
A shadow moves, throwing something out into the open. Maria jumps to avoid it, but falls on her bottom, making a sickeningly loud CREEAAAK noise. Knowing what to expect, Storm jumps backwards to dodge a Shadow's swipe and unsheathes his amethyst weapon. I summon the halberd and drop into a battle stance, while Maria readies her slingshot.
The pitch black Heartless melt out of the floor and are joined by an assortment of magic Heartless. Whenever I'm not fending off my own adversaries, I pause to look at Storm. He's obviously a lot stronger than he was. Either that, or he's gotten a lot more agile and clever. A Yellow Opera throws itself at him, but the Air Pirate takes wing and swiftly flies above it, crashing his sword down on the thing's head and destroying it before it had time to react. A quick Strike Raid destroys a conglomeration of Shadows.
Maria leaps around like the limber monkey she is, dodging attacks and tossing bananas, striking random Heartless with her slingshot. She teases the enemies and scuffles off faster than they can follow. My friend hops behind me and attacks a Red Nocturne that had been charging up its ability. I hastily thank her and go back to fighting.
After awhile, the Heartless dwindle away to nothing and the three of us collapse on the ground, exhausted. Maria finally gets up and wanders over the the ladder. Storm and I follow close behind.
I'd spent so much time in the freezer that my cold skin feels like it's burning now that it's exposed to warmth. I sit on the floor for a moment, letting myself sweat as I adapt to the sudden change in temperature. I look around. We're in some sort of narrow corridor. There is no sound but the gentle rocking of the ship.
"I'm sleepy," I declare without thinking, blinking rapidly to keep my eyes from closing. Storm and Maria start snickering despite the fact that we're lost in the middle of a ship that's floating listlessly in the air.
"Can't imagine why," Maria giggles, "You just had a two-hour-long nap. But you were probably hurting, weren't you?" She starts to walk off. "I'll look around for food. Storm's told so many stories about Neverland that I actually recognize it, and I should know the place like the back of my hand. Storm, keep an eye on Des."
"Yes, ma'am!" I smile as Storm salutes my Bouncywild friend. Maria just rolls her eyes and walks out of the room. He sits down next to me. "You really tired, Des? You were unconscious for quite awhile."
"...Was I really unconscious for two hours?" I inquire. Both of us giggle and snicker.
Storm shrugs. "I dunno. We don't have watches." He nudges me. "And if you're sleepy, then sleep. No use falling asleep in the middle of a fight later on. You need energy." He pokes me. I poke him back, and a huge poke- fight unfolds.
Finally I yawn and lean on him. "I'll go to sleep now."
"Sweet dreams, Destiny."
"Yeah, whatever."
***
"Wake up, 'leepyhead." Fate prods me with the halberd.
"Shut up. Why do you always have to bug me?" I mutter. Fate ignores me and continues prodding. Finally I roll over and survey my surroundings. I'm on the sunbathed hill. "So, what's up, Fate? Any news? What about questions that have been wandering around in my head, but I haven't noticed?"
The winged Bouncywild makes the halberd disappear. She crosses her arms over her chest. "Well, there's been the recurring ones that are weaved into your thoughts and make them sound kinda curious, then there's the one about if Storm really like-likes you, and the most recent one about you sleeping for two hours. And, actually, you slept for two hours and a half."
"Wow, that's helpful." My voice oozes sarcasm. "D'ya know if Storm DOES like-like me? It would help to pull me away from driving myself crazy."
"Why, do you like him back?"
I glare at her, aggravated. "Why are you asking yourself? No sense in that."
"You know," Fate remarks, "You talk to yourself. A lot. I can ask myself whatever I want, too. So, do you like-like him back?"
"Yes, no, maybe so."
"You do. You know you do."
"I can't HEAR you..."
I plug my ears. Fate just keeps on chanting that I like Storm. I can hear her through my fingertips. That's the thing about Fate; she can be so obnoxious. Eventually, I turn to her. "Let's talk about something else, shall we." It was a statement, not a question.
"Okay..." She seems disappointed. Fate blinks. "Well, there's not much to talk about. Since we're not on opposite sides anymore, we can't fight and make things interesting. And I've pretty much given up on the mysterious 'you and I are one' thing."
"If I told others that I talk to myself, they'd think I was schizophrenic." I blurt out. Okay, where did THAT come from? My alter ego just stares at me pointedly.
"In a way, you are."
"That means you are too."
"Yeah, but I'm talking to you with your body, remember?"
"I hate you."
We giggle a little bit, which seems a bit odd for Fate. She smiles at me. "You have a good sense of humor, Des."
I blink. "Wow, since when do you call me Des?"
"I do now."
We giggle a little more. I grin like an idiot, overcome with happiness. What would I do without Fate to poke at me in my dreams?
[Author's Note]
Maji: Xx I made Fate kinda OOC. And the chapter had a crappy ending. *sigh* At least the chapter's long.
Fate: *clings to Alana* I have fans! ^^ *is extremely happy*
Maji: ...Okay, THAT was worse than the story. Oh, and the excuse for taking so long... I was abducted by aliens, and got my memory wiped, and I just remembered my story.
Gypsy: *whispers* Actually, Vivi hit her over the head with a frying pan. She got amnesia, and we just recently managed to remind her of Half- Heartless. ^^; I made up a story so that Maji wouldn't kick Vivi out...
Storm: *is quietly fuming in the corner*
Destiny: *giggles like a fangirl* It looks like this story's headed for the Destorm pairing!
Storm: Shut up...
Maji: Who knows? I have plenty of twists in my mind.
Storm: Please, kill me off. By all that is good, kill me off.
Maji: Maybe I will. Maybe I won't.
Maria: Des, maybe becoming a couple with Storm wouldn't be that great. Remember, Maji took that Mary Sue test, and if you fell in love, you were borderline, and if you didn't you definitely weren't a Mary Sue...
Destiny: *grimaces* Don't remind me. Just the thought of being one of +them+ strikes fear in my heart.
Fate: *prods her* +Half+-heart.
Destiny: Whatever...
Mel: Going for the mysterious effect? May I call you Squall?
Destiny: Whatev- Shut up.
--Goodies--
-Onstage, Destiny seems like a gentle little Bouncywild, Maria seems like an overprotective helper, Storm seems like a friendly, kind jokester, Mel seems kinda selfish, and Kristina is hyper. How are they Behind the Scenes?
BTS = Behind the Scenes
Destiny - Kind of air-headed, BTS Destiny tends to follow others around and see what they're doing. She also has a MAJOR crush on Storm, but never told him - he'd probably shove her off a cliff if she did. Destiny also likes to annoy the heck out of Maria and Storm.
Maria - BTS Maria is a bit of a tomboy. She's the most mature one of the group, but she still possesses the love to party that her story-self does. Maria LOVES teasing Destiny and Storm about how they go great together, even thought Storm chases after her with his sword when she does.
Storm - He's... Kinda crazy. Oblivious to Des's crush on him, he spends most of his time writing his own stories that Maji refuses to post on the 'net - they're gruesome and morbid. All in all, Storm is one deranged, homical psycho... Not that that's BAD or anything...
Mel - BTS Mel is like Destiny; air-headed. She has a love for nature and animals, and is a bit naive. BTS Mel is sweet and caring, plus she spends most of her time trying to convince Storm that killing is wrong. It never works, though.
Kristina - Lessee, since she's a friend-insert, BTS Kristina is more or less the same.
There you have it, folks. The secrets of the HH crew. Yes, they are all idiots, aren't they?
[Disclaimer]
I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Yes, I AM bored. However, I own Destiny, Storm, Maria, Mel, Xavier (I still have a use for him, don't worry), and... Oh, yeah! 'Member Travis, Jai, and Chloe? I own them, too, even though Chloe hasn't even made an appearance yet. So that makes... *counts* four girls, not counting Kristina, and four boys. Kristina belongs to blue fox.
Girls: 5 (including Kristina)
Boys: 4
Canon characters: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Maleficent, and Ansem (kinda). So it's technically 5 1/2.