This chappies a bit strange...
Chapter 13: Strange House and Stranger Gummi Ship
Terra shuddered and moved closer to Riku while remaining in step. Thunder crashed up a light dirge in step with the lightning. It was an intricate dance, one that frightened her worse than the tango. She did not want to seem weak, though. The walk up to Dumbledore's office was short, considering the size of Hogwarts Castle, but the storm was raging beyond the thick stone walls. Every clap echoed in the halls, every sudden light splayed against the floors and walls, making creepy shadows. At last, they arrived before a gargoyle, where she waited patiently. Riku was surprised, almost to the point where he ran into her.
"Paradise Kiss," Dumbledore said. Terra balked. Where had he gotten that name? As the gargoyle parted, he ushered Harry, Ron, and Hermione on, followed closely by a too-hyper Renee and a pale Riku. Dumbledore winked at her. "A lovely book series. Your turn, Ms. Jem."
Terra shook her head roughly, trying to get the image out of her mind of the white-haired Professor reading the manga she had. A rumbling outside spurred her at the heels. She raced up to join Riku, then languidly waited for the stairs to stop moving. As if she wasn't frightened at all. A little trick she had learned quite early on when she was just beginning to create her "image".
Stepping into the room, she instantly wanted to touch everything. The paintings on the wall, where the sleeping headmasters snored a little too loudly. Silver objects left and right, coupled with dark stained maple and an oak floor. Windows lit the room brighter despite the lamplight. The multicolored phoenix, Fawkes, stirred sleepily, staring at them with large brown eyes.
The urge to touch, to handle, to examine, passed as quickly as it came, squashed beneath her want to contain herself. Prove herself to the headmaster. She could control what she did and what she did not do.
Dumbledore slid the door shut behind him. The lock clicked into place. Striding toward the oak shelves behind his overlarge desk, Dumbledore plucked the Sorting Hat from its high perch.
"I doubt you will be in a different House, but it is best to consult the Hat," Dumbledore explained. He placed it on giddy Renee's head. She disappeared, but Terra could hear her giggling.
The Hat shouted: "Hufflepuff!"
Blink. Blinks on all parts. BLINK! Terra screwed her eyes up in terror. Her friend was in Hufflepuff? Where would she end up? Where would Riku go?
Dumbledore pulled the hat off and placed it on Riku's head. The Hat shifted and shouted out: "HUFFLEPUFF!"
If she didn't go to Hufflepuff, where would she go? How confused would she be? The world went dark and suddenly the Hat was talking.
"Hmm...a visitor as well. Not many minds like this one. Hiding, are we? Ravenclaw? No. Oh, dear, you are a pickle, aren't you? Hmm...ah, well. HUFFLEPUFF!"
"That is a tad strange...alas, it is done," Dumbledore smiled. "I will see you to your dormitory. School begins next week. We'll go for your supplies tomorrow. Harry, Ron, Hermione, get to your House as well."
He rose. Everyone piled back onto the eagle gargoyle as it went down again. Terra blinked as the storm raged on outside. Still, the shock knocked her, echoing in her skull. She didn't get in to Griffindor. Renee, Riku, and herself were in Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff, the House that accepted anyone, the people who weren't initially brave, smart, or politic.
Perhaps that was a good thing, though. She'd get to meet interesting people. She was on an accelerated course. According to Dumbledore, who continued talking down the hall, she would be a second year by the time she went back to Kingdom Hearts. There wasn't any reason she could think of to simply stay and finish her magic education. Of course, that meant she could study in her off time.
Dumbledore stopped before a large tapestry. Faded yellow, unraveling at the corners, it refused to move if she touched it.
"Passion is the Power of People," Dumbledore said. The tapestry turned bright yellow, woven with intricate lines of red, green, and blue. "Touch the corner of it."
Terra reached out and took the hem of the tapestry. It looked rough, but it was soft, like a cat's belly fur. Riku and Renee held the tapestry as well.
"Three to educate, Thus no cowards pass, nor the ignorant last, nor the sly mass," Dumbledore smiled. The tapestry yanked from her hands and lifted on both sides, revealing a wide tunnel with many doors on either side. "Welcome to Hufflepuff Hall."
Sora waited patiently for Leon to come back in the warm, comforting Item Shop, where three small ducks were selling an array of things he'd never seen before. Bottles labeled "Potion" and "Tent" and "Food", each costing a certain amount of "munny". The little bell on the door jangled.
"You'll need to hurry," Leon said. A blond man, wearing goggles on his head and a tool belt around his waist, followed him. He carried small, colorful objects in his hand, like the building blocks he used to play with when he was little.
"Hey, kid," said the man, grinning. "You missed me, I'm thinkin'. I'm Cid. Sora, right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Well, since the Gummi Ship that was supposed to get here isn't, I'm gonna lend you one of mine," Cid said. "Anyone here know how to pilot one?"
Crickets chirped.
"Right. You, I'll give you a crash course," he pointed to Kyle. "Drive a car?"
Kyle nodded, glancing at Blank. Freda looked at the man. "Well, teach me, too. I'm the other adult here, ya know."
The three walked off out the door. Al, Blank, and he walked up to the counter, hoping to find out more about the items behind the counters. The three ducks were proud of their display, and quite willing to explain each item's use.
"Potion is a healing element," explained Huey. "Drink it, and wounds heal."
"A tent is someplace to sleep when you're tired," Lewie said.
"Food," shrugged Dewey.
Sora blocked out the sound of their high-pitched, rather annoying voices. He studied the strange door that led outside. The Keyblade rested lightly in a sling over his shoulder, which Leon had made him. According to Leon, the blade was supposed to automatically disappear and reappear, but something had happened to this Keyblade that prevented such from happening.
"Come on, you three," Freda said, walking to the counter, her fist holding several colorful orbs. "Ten Food, twenty potion, and two tents, please, Huey. Do you have a satchel I could carry this in?"
The little ducks scrambled to get the items piled on the counter. Freda placed it all in her new black leather satchel, tugging the straps over her shoulder. She handed over all of the colorful little orbs, which the ducks counted.
"Thanks, lady," Dewey said. "Have a good evening!"
"We'll be back," she grinned. "Sora, Blank, Al, this way."
Back out on the cobblestone streets, Sora took a double take at a large, abstract-looking ship. They looked exactly like the building blocks Cid had held in his hand. Now they filled the square, each block gleaming in the ever-present twilight of the stars.
"Look for the portals," Cid said. "They look like a swirling mass of silver and white and blue. You'll find one at the back of the ship. Use those to gain some healing and for boarding the ship again if you want to. Head for Wonderland. It's your best bet for right now. Good luck! See you when you get back."
A bright, royal blue plank descended from the highest park of the ship. White light revealed the silhouette of Kyle. He forced himself beyond the light and grabbed Sora's hand.
"Come on, Sora! I'm driving!" He grabbed Sora's hand and pulled him into the ship. Butterflies danced around in his stomach as he was thrown bodily into the seat behind Kyle. Al took the seat beside him, Freda the copilot seat, and Blank the seat behind him.
Away they zoomed, with bright starlights streaking all around them. More strange, blocky ships, some similar to theirs, some radically different, flew every which way. Rocks and debris floated all around. Sora got the feeling he was in some strange, alternate place, with the separate time streams all around him. If he but touched any of them, he would change the worlds.
"Heartless ships dead ahead!" Freda shouted. "Everyone, battle stations!"
"It's Star Wars!" Al shouted, descending one of the gun ports below the ship. Sora took the one of the right, Blank the left. Freda took the top.
The gun pods were like normal chairs that spun around, with a joystick on each arm. Sora took each joystick in his hand and pushed one forward. The entire pod took him with it. A firing indicator showed him where he was pointing.
"All right, Sora," he said to himself. "Time to prove your worth."
The chair spun left and right, shouting TSEW! TSEW! as the lasers
fired in sync. He must
have fired at least twenty of them, but three Heartless ships were
down.
TSEW! TSEW! The guns sang out again and again as he fired them, the joysticks getting hot in his hands. At last, all of the ships bearing the Heartless coat were gone. Sora rubbed his hands together and ascended the ladder again.
"WHOO HOO! What a blast!" Freda shouted.
"Have fun, Missus J?" Kyle grinned from the pilot's seat. "Better take your seats again, Wonderland's comin' up. It's almost nine, you guys. Don't you still need to get everyone working on that paper for English?"
"True, true," Blank grinned. "You land. Sora and I will run back to our world."
Sora ducked his chin and focused on Terra's room, especially the painting. The shadows dancing in the forest. There must be something about that painting...how it changes and reflects...
He jumped. Back in the green room, with Blank. Terra, Riku, and Renee were already there, smiling at them. Terra waved at him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were receiving the same assignment from Dumbledore, so that they would be able to do some work in familiar surroundings. Sora wished he'd had that.
"Heard you were doing your project on Harry," Terra said. "Interesting idea, Sora. Okay, now that we're all here, Blank, I've got a question. How the hell are we gonna get these two into our school?" She gestured to Sora and Riku.
"Dumbledore went and enrolled them earlier today," Blank said. "Sora Kuwabara and Riku Sawaguchi. As exchange students."
"Exchange students. Ah," Terra nodded. "Pretty good cover. Why Kuwabara and Sawaguchi?"
"Apparently, he's a manga fan," Blank said. "Take a guess."
"Yu Yu Hakusho and Blue Seed. Will wonders never cease?" Terra shook her head, her fingers pinched around her the bridge of her nose. "Now that we're here, let me explain this paper. Basically, a character analysis. Pick a book, pick three characters, pro and con 'em to death. Sora's decided, most interestingly, to do Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Most appropriate. I'm doing Hamlet. Blank, Frankenstein. Renee, The Hobbit. Riku, it's your choice now. My bookshelf has loads."
The silver-haired boy glanced at the bursting shelf, which was small and inconspicuous as long as you didn't open the door. Once open, it was the centerpiece of the room, exploding with colored covers of all tints.
"So, what three characters would you suggest I use?" Sora asked Terra as he thumbed to the bookmarked place he'd left in the book. Her colorful clothes flew around her as she sank onto her own bed, for the first time in a while. She was a fully different person, now that Sora saw her again.
"Obviously, Harry is a good choice. But find characters that sharply contrast, and don't just think of those you know real well. Snape, Dudley, Vernon, Draco. Good second characters. Ollivander, Dumbledore, Filch. Good third characters. It's your choice, though."
Sora, in Terra's dark clothes with his tanned skin and large blue eyes, sat down beside her. The choice was obvious to him. Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore were excellent characters of choice, but Terra seemed to be the one he was focused on. What would she do to help, change, move the world she was in? Had she been left here, alone, she would have descended into the world of writing and drawing, talking to few, living little, still that little timid shrew. The short few days she'd lived his life, she had changed. He could see it.
And he liked, very much, what he saw.
Er...yeah. I'm not going to describe every waking moment of their schooling, believe me. I'm just gonna give a good idea with these next few chapters of what they have to go through, then I'll jump to next "year.
Chapter 13: Strange House and Stranger Gummi Ship
Terra shuddered and moved closer to Riku while remaining in step. Thunder crashed up a light dirge in step with the lightning. It was an intricate dance, one that frightened her worse than the tango. She did not want to seem weak, though. The walk up to Dumbledore's office was short, considering the size of Hogwarts Castle, but the storm was raging beyond the thick stone walls. Every clap echoed in the halls, every sudden light splayed against the floors and walls, making creepy shadows. At last, they arrived before a gargoyle, where she waited patiently. Riku was surprised, almost to the point where he ran into her.
"Paradise Kiss," Dumbledore said. Terra balked. Where had he gotten that name? As the gargoyle parted, he ushered Harry, Ron, and Hermione on, followed closely by a too-hyper Renee and a pale Riku. Dumbledore winked at her. "A lovely book series. Your turn, Ms. Jem."
Terra shook her head roughly, trying to get the image out of her mind of the white-haired Professor reading the manga she had. A rumbling outside spurred her at the heels. She raced up to join Riku, then languidly waited for the stairs to stop moving. As if she wasn't frightened at all. A little trick she had learned quite early on when she was just beginning to create her "image".
Stepping into the room, she instantly wanted to touch everything. The paintings on the wall, where the sleeping headmasters snored a little too loudly. Silver objects left and right, coupled with dark stained maple and an oak floor. Windows lit the room brighter despite the lamplight. The multicolored phoenix, Fawkes, stirred sleepily, staring at them with large brown eyes.
The urge to touch, to handle, to examine, passed as quickly as it came, squashed beneath her want to contain herself. Prove herself to the headmaster. She could control what she did and what she did not do.
Dumbledore slid the door shut behind him. The lock clicked into place. Striding toward the oak shelves behind his overlarge desk, Dumbledore plucked the Sorting Hat from its high perch.
"I doubt you will be in a different House, but it is best to consult the Hat," Dumbledore explained. He placed it on giddy Renee's head. She disappeared, but Terra could hear her giggling.
The Hat shouted: "Hufflepuff!"
Blink. Blinks on all parts. BLINK! Terra screwed her eyes up in terror. Her friend was in Hufflepuff? Where would she end up? Where would Riku go?
Dumbledore pulled the hat off and placed it on Riku's head. The Hat shifted and shouted out: "HUFFLEPUFF!"
If she didn't go to Hufflepuff, where would she go? How confused would she be? The world went dark and suddenly the Hat was talking.
"Hmm...a visitor as well. Not many minds like this one. Hiding, are we? Ravenclaw? No. Oh, dear, you are a pickle, aren't you? Hmm...ah, well. HUFFLEPUFF!"
"That is a tad strange...alas, it is done," Dumbledore smiled. "I will see you to your dormitory. School begins next week. We'll go for your supplies tomorrow. Harry, Ron, Hermione, get to your House as well."
He rose. Everyone piled back onto the eagle gargoyle as it went down again. Terra blinked as the storm raged on outside. Still, the shock knocked her, echoing in her skull. She didn't get in to Griffindor. Renee, Riku, and herself were in Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff, the House that accepted anyone, the people who weren't initially brave, smart, or politic.
Perhaps that was a good thing, though. She'd get to meet interesting people. She was on an accelerated course. According to Dumbledore, who continued talking down the hall, she would be a second year by the time she went back to Kingdom Hearts. There wasn't any reason she could think of to simply stay and finish her magic education. Of course, that meant she could study in her off time.
Dumbledore stopped before a large tapestry. Faded yellow, unraveling at the corners, it refused to move if she touched it.
"Passion is the Power of People," Dumbledore said. The tapestry turned bright yellow, woven with intricate lines of red, green, and blue. "Touch the corner of it."
Terra reached out and took the hem of the tapestry. It looked rough, but it was soft, like a cat's belly fur. Riku and Renee held the tapestry as well.
"Three to educate, Thus no cowards pass, nor the ignorant last, nor the sly mass," Dumbledore smiled. The tapestry yanked from her hands and lifted on both sides, revealing a wide tunnel with many doors on either side. "Welcome to Hufflepuff Hall."
Sora waited patiently for Leon to come back in the warm, comforting Item Shop, where three small ducks were selling an array of things he'd never seen before. Bottles labeled "Potion" and "Tent" and "Food", each costing a certain amount of "munny". The little bell on the door jangled.
"You'll need to hurry," Leon said. A blond man, wearing goggles on his head and a tool belt around his waist, followed him. He carried small, colorful objects in his hand, like the building blocks he used to play with when he was little.
"Hey, kid," said the man, grinning. "You missed me, I'm thinkin'. I'm Cid. Sora, right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Well, since the Gummi Ship that was supposed to get here isn't, I'm gonna lend you one of mine," Cid said. "Anyone here know how to pilot one?"
Crickets chirped.
"Right. You, I'll give you a crash course," he pointed to Kyle. "Drive a car?"
Kyle nodded, glancing at Blank. Freda looked at the man. "Well, teach me, too. I'm the other adult here, ya know."
The three walked off out the door. Al, Blank, and he walked up to the counter, hoping to find out more about the items behind the counters. The three ducks were proud of their display, and quite willing to explain each item's use.
"Potion is a healing element," explained Huey. "Drink it, and wounds heal."
"A tent is someplace to sleep when you're tired," Lewie said.
"Food," shrugged Dewey.
Sora blocked out the sound of their high-pitched, rather annoying voices. He studied the strange door that led outside. The Keyblade rested lightly in a sling over his shoulder, which Leon had made him. According to Leon, the blade was supposed to automatically disappear and reappear, but something had happened to this Keyblade that prevented such from happening.
"Come on, you three," Freda said, walking to the counter, her fist holding several colorful orbs. "Ten Food, twenty potion, and two tents, please, Huey. Do you have a satchel I could carry this in?"
The little ducks scrambled to get the items piled on the counter. Freda placed it all in her new black leather satchel, tugging the straps over her shoulder. She handed over all of the colorful little orbs, which the ducks counted.
"Thanks, lady," Dewey said. "Have a good evening!"
"We'll be back," she grinned. "Sora, Blank, Al, this way."
Back out on the cobblestone streets, Sora took a double take at a large, abstract-looking ship. They looked exactly like the building blocks Cid had held in his hand. Now they filled the square, each block gleaming in the ever-present twilight of the stars.
"Look for the portals," Cid said. "They look like a swirling mass of silver and white and blue. You'll find one at the back of the ship. Use those to gain some healing and for boarding the ship again if you want to. Head for Wonderland. It's your best bet for right now. Good luck! See you when you get back."
A bright, royal blue plank descended from the highest park of the ship. White light revealed the silhouette of Kyle. He forced himself beyond the light and grabbed Sora's hand.
"Come on, Sora! I'm driving!" He grabbed Sora's hand and pulled him into the ship. Butterflies danced around in his stomach as he was thrown bodily into the seat behind Kyle. Al took the seat beside him, Freda the copilot seat, and Blank the seat behind him.
Away they zoomed, with bright starlights streaking all around them. More strange, blocky ships, some similar to theirs, some radically different, flew every which way. Rocks and debris floated all around. Sora got the feeling he was in some strange, alternate place, with the separate time streams all around him. If he but touched any of them, he would change the worlds.
"Heartless ships dead ahead!" Freda shouted. "Everyone, battle stations!"
"It's Star Wars!" Al shouted, descending one of the gun ports below the ship. Sora took the one of the right, Blank the left. Freda took the top.
The gun pods were like normal chairs that spun around, with a joystick on each arm. Sora took each joystick in his hand and pushed one forward. The entire pod took him with it. A firing indicator showed him where he was pointing.
"All right, Sora," he said to himself. "Time to prove your worth."
The chair spun left and right, shouting TSEW! TSEW! as the lasers
fired in sync. He must
have fired at least twenty of them, but three Heartless ships were
down.
TSEW! TSEW! The guns sang out again and again as he fired them, the joysticks getting hot in his hands. At last, all of the ships bearing the Heartless coat were gone. Sora rubbed his hands together and ascended the ladder again.
"WHOO HOO! What a blast!" Freda shouted.
"Have fun, Missus J?" Kyle grinned from the pilot's seat. "Better take your seats again, Wonderland's comin' up. It's almost nine, you guys. Don't you still need to get everyone working on that paper for English?"
"True, true," Blank grinned. "You land. Sora and I will run back to our world."
Sora ducked his chin and focused on Terra's room, especially the painting. The shadows dancing in the forest. There must be something about that painting...how it changes and reflects...
He jumped. Back in the green room, with Blank. Terra, Riku, and Renee were already there, smiling at them. Terra waved at him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were receiving the same assignment from Dumbledore, so that they would be able to do some work in familiar surroundings. Sora wished he'd had that.
"Heard you were doing your project on Harry," Terra said. "Interesting idea, Sora. Okay, now that we're all here, Blank, I've got a question. How the hell are we gonna get these two into our school?" She gestured to Sora and Riku.
"Dumbledore went and enrolled them earlier today," Blank said. "Sora Kuwabara and Riku Sawaguchi. As exchange students."
"Exchange students. Ah," Terra nodded. "Pretty good cover. Why Kuwabara and Sawaguchi?"
"Apparently, he's a manga fan," Blank said. "Take a guess."
"Yu Yu Hakusho and Blue Seed. Will wonders never cease?" Terra shook her head, her fingers pinched around her the bridge of her nose. "Now that we're here, let me explain this paper. Basically, a character analysis. Pick a book, pick three characters, pro and con 'em to death. Sora's decided, most interestingly, to do Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Most appropriate. I'm doing Hamlet. Blank, Frankenstein. Renee, The Hobbit. Riku, it's your choice now. My bookshelf has loads."
The silver-haired boy glanced at the bursting shelf, which was small and inconspicuous as long as you didn't open the door. Once open, it was the centerpiece of the room, exploding with colored covers of all tints.
"So, what three characters would you suggest I use?" Sora asked Terra as he thumbed to the bookmarked place he'd left in the book. Her colorful clothes flew around her as she sank onto her own bed, for the first time in a while. She was a fully different person, now that Sora saw her again.
"Obviously, Harry is a good choice. But find characters that sharply contrast, and don't just think of those you know real well. Snape, Dudley, Vernon, Draco. Good second characters. Ollivander, Dumbledore, Filch. Good third characters. It's your choice, though."
Sora, in Terra's dark clothes with his tanned skin and large blue eyes, sat down beside her. The choice was obvious to him. Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore were excellent characters of choice, but Terra seemed to be the one he was focused on. What would she do to help, change, move the world she was in? Had she been left here, alone, she would have descended into the world of writing and drawing, talking to few, living little, still that little timid shrew. The short few days she'd lived his life, she had changed. He could see it.
And he liked, very much, what he saw.
Er...yeah. I'm not going to describe every waking moment of their schooling, believe me. I'm just gonna give a good idea with these next few chapters of what they have to go through, then I'll jump to next "year.